HC Deb 03 April 1979 vol 965 cc677-8W
Mr. Jim Callaghan

s asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the most recent figures available for the infant mortality rate and birth of handicapped children in the county districts of the Greater Manchester metropolitan county; and how these figures compare with those in other parts of the United Kingdom.

Mr. Moyle

The attached list shows infant mortality rates for the Greater Manchester metropolitan county and its constituent districts, and the infant mortality rates for the United Kingdom, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The infant mortality rate in England in 1977 varied from 7.8—Kingston and Richmond AHA—to 24.0—Calder-dale AHA.

I regret that information on the birth of handicapped children, is not available in the form requested. However, my hon. Friend may like to know that there is in operation a voluntary system of notifying congenital malformations. Only malformations observed at birth or up to seven days after birth are included and no estimate of the level of completeness is available. As my hon. Friend no doubt realises, many congenital malformations are minor blemishes which do not constitute handicap. I attach recent figures for England and Wales. Since the data are expressed in terms of numbers and not rates, my hon. Friend will appreciate that comparisons between Manchester and other parts of the country would be meaningless.

INFANT MORTALITY RATES (1977)

(per 1,000 live births)
Greater Manchester metropolitan county 15.1
Bolton metropolitan county district 13.1
Bury 14.4
Manchester 18.4
Oldham 13.5
Rochdale 19.1
Salford 17.0
Stockport 15.7
Tameside 11.1
Trafford 9.6
Wigan 14.6
United Kingdom 14.1
England 13.7
Wales 13.5
Scotland 16.1
Northern Ireland 17.2

CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS (1977)
(Number of notifications of congenitally malformed live born babies)
Greater Manchester metropolitan county 615
Bolton metropolitan county district 52
Bury 44
Manchester 87
Oldham 52
Rochdale 92
Salford 96
Stockport 53
Tameside 31
Trafford 61
Wigan 47
England and Wales 11,380
England 10,892
Wales 486

NOTE: The small number of events concerning persons normally resident outside England and Wales are included in the totals for England and Wales but are not included in other areas.