§ Mr. Chris RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the incidence of low birthweight by county in descending order, for the most recent year for which available figures exist. [76155]
Area of usual residence Number Percentage3 West Midlands (Metropolitan County) 3,137 9.5 West Yorkshire (Metropolitan County) 2,254 8.8 Lancashire, former county of 1,349 8.6 Tees Valley less Darlington 513 8.5 Greater Manchester (Metropolitan County) 2,491 8.3 Bedfordshire, former county of 608 8.3 Staffordshire, former county of 884 8.2 Greater London (Metropolitan County) 8,425 8.1 South Yorkshire (Metropolitan County) 1,104 8.0 Nottinghamshire, former county of 849 8.0 Leicestershire, former county of 835 8.0 Merseyside (Metropolitan County) 1,131 7.8 The Humber 694 7.8 Berkshire, former county of 755 7.5 Wales 2,288 7.5 Herefordshire and Worcestershire, former county of 529 7.4 Tyne and Wear (Metropolitan County) 820 7.4 Buckinghamshire, former county of 609 7.3 Derbyshire, former county of 733 7.3 Warwickshire 382 7.3 Durham, former county of 422 7.2 Wiltshire, former county of 493 7.2 Northamptonshire 528 7.2 Shropshire, former county of 322 7.2 Cambridgeshire, former county of 563 7.1 Hampshire, former county of 1,224 7.0 Kent, former county of 1,222 6.9 West Sussex 532 6.9 Lincolnshire 413 6.9 Cumbria 317 6.8 Oxfordshire 479 6.8 Gloucestershire 394 6.8 Norfolk 499 6.7 Dorset, former county of 414 6.7 Bristol/Bath area 727 6.7 East Sussex, former county of 482 6.5 Somerset 307 6.5 Cheshire, former county of 678 6.5 Cornwall (and Isle of Scilly) 289 6.5 Suffolk 449 6.5 Hertfordshire 797 6.3 Devon, former county of 618 6.3 Isle of Wight, former county of 69 6.2 Surrey 729 6.2 Essex, former county of 1,101 6.2 Northumberland 176 6.1 North Yorkshire, former county of 425 5.9 Notes:
1. Low birthweight babies are defined as those weighing under 2,500 grams
2. Data are presented for English counties, and former counties, based on boundaries as at 1 April 2002.
3. Low birthweight babies as a percentage of all livebirths with a stated birthweight.
Source:
Office for National Statistics
526W
§ Ruth KellyI have been asked to reply.
The information requested is the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Mr. Len Cook to Chris Ruane, dated 7 November 2001
527WAs National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question on incidence of low birthweight babies by county in descending order, for the most recent year for which available figures exist. [76155]The number and percentage of low birthweight live births that occurred in 2001 are given in the table below, for each county in England, and for the whole of Wales, in descending order.Number and percentage of low birthweight1 live births by English counties2 and Wales in descending order, 2001
§ Mr. Chris RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the percentage incidence was of low birth weight babies, by local authority; for each of the last 20 years. [75881]
§ Ruth KellyI have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Mr. Len Cook to Chris Ruane, dated 7 November 2001
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on what the percentage incidence was of low birthweight babies, by local authority; for each of the last 20 years. [75881]The percentages for local authorities from 1990 to 2001 have been tabulated and I am placing copies in the House of Commons Library. Figures for comparable areas prior to 1990 are not readily available because of local government reorganisation.