§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the infant mortality rates for each of the past five years in respect of the areas covered by the present Kirklees, Wakefield and Oldham area health authorities.
§ Mr. MoyleInfant mortality rates for 1974 and 1975 are as follows:
Deaths under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births Area Health Authority 1974 1975* Kirklees 17 21 Wakefield 17 23 Oldham 23 23 * Provisional. For earlier years, before area health authorities were created, the following local authority areas comprised these health areas:
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Kirklees Area Health Authority Huddersfield CB Dewsbury CB Colne Valley UD Batley MB Denby Dale UD Heckmondwike UD Holmfirth UD Mirfield UD Kirkburton UD Spenborough MB Meltham UD Wakefield Area Health Authority Castleford MB Osgoldcross RD (part) Featherstone UD Wakefield CB Hemsworth UD Horbury UD Knottingley UD Ossett MB Normanton UD Stanley UD Pontefract MB Wakefield RD Hemsworth RD (part) Oldham Area Health Authority Oldham CB LeesUD Chadderton UD Royton UD Crompton UD Saddlesworth UD Failsworth UD Infant mortality data for these local authority areas have been published annually in Table 13 of the Registrar General's Statistical Reviews, Part 1.
§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement in respect of the provisional infant mortality rates of 1975 in the Kirklees, Wakefield and Oldham area health authorities.
§ Mr. MoyleThe provisional rates in these areas for infant mortality are recognised to be unacceptably high. Casual factors include social-economic and environmental conditions. Remedial measures already taken include extended and improved hospital maternity facilities in Kirklees and Wakefield and the appointment of a second consultant paediatrician in Oldham. It is also planned to make additional appointments of consultant paediatricians in Kirklees and Wakefield.
§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what the infant mortality rate was in the area of each regional health authority of the United Kingdom in 1974 and 1975; and what the national infant mortality rate was in these years.
§ Mr. MoyleThe figures are as follows:
1974 1975* United Kingdom 16.8 16.0 Scotland 18.9 17.2 Health Board Highland 14.9 17.9 Orkney Islands 9.0 8.4 Shetland Islands 24.2 7.0 Western Islands 13.9 20.3 Grampian 11.8 10.9 Tayside 17.6 12.4 Fife 17.7 15.7 Lothian 17.3 15.9 Borders 22.4 11.5 Central 21.3 18.7 Strathclyde 21.1 19.4 Dumfries and Galloway 14.9 20.0 Northern Ireland 20.9 20.4 Health Board Northern 18.0 18.1 Southern 19.4 20.0 Eastern 21.2 19.7 Western 25.3 25.1 England and Wales 16.3 15.7 The rates for Regional Health Authorities of England and Wales were given in my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Cornwall, North (Mr. Pardoe) on 30th July—[Vol. 916, c. 498–500.] * Provisional.