§ Mr. Gareth Wardellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the 351W infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births in (a) England, (b) Japan, (c) France, (d) Finland and (e) Sweden, for the years (i) 1964, (ii) 1966, (iii) 1968, (iv) 1970, (v) 1972, (vi) 1974, (vii) 1976, (viii) 1978, (ix) 1980 and (x) 1982.
§ Mr. John PattenThe available information is shown in the following table:
Infant mortality rates for selected countries, 1964 to 1982 Infant Mortality Rates Country Year 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 England 19.7 18.9 18.2 18.2 17.2 Japan 20.4 19.3 ' 15.3 13.1 11.7 France 23.3 21.7 20.4 18.2 16.0 Finland 17.0 15.0 14.4 13.2 *12.1 Sweden 14.2 12.6 13.0 11.0 10.8 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 England 16.3 14.2 13.1 12.0 10.8 Japan 10.8 9.3 8.4 7.5 n.a. France 14.7 12.5 10.7 *10.0 n.a. Finland 11.0 9.2 7.6 7.6 n.a. Sweden 9.2 8.3 7.8 *6.9 n.a. Great care should be taken in comparing the figures for different countries as there may be differences in the definitions of infants at risk.
Notes:
Rate= per 1,000 live births.
* Provisional.
n.a.—not available.
§ Mr. Gareth Wardellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the perinatal and infant mortality rates, respectively, for each social class where babies were born into married households in England for each year since 1978.
§ Mr. John PattenI refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Mr. Finsberg) gave to him on 29 November 1982. — [Vol. 33, c.81–82.] Information for 1981 and 1982 should be available in three to four months' time.