§ Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has received any indications of the trend of perinatal mortality rates in inner city areas in the next decade; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenThe perinatal mortality rate for inner city areas in England has fallen from 12.5 deaths per 1,000 births in 1981 to 11.3 in 1983. These figures are higher than the national average but are falling, in line with the national trend, and are expected to continue to do so as people become better informed about health needs during pregnancy, and health authorities review the effectiveness of their health services.
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§ Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the highest 10 and the lowest 10 health areas for perinatal mortality, together with their rates in 1983; and what are Her Majesty's Government's policies and proposals to eliminate this inequality.
§ Mr. John PattenThe information requested is set out in the table. The Government's approach to securing further reductions in perinatal mortality is explained in our reply to the third report from the Social Services Committee which was published on 23 October (Cmnd 9371).
Number of perinatal deaths and perinatal mortality rates for DHAs in 1983 in England and Wales Health Authority Number of perinatal deaths Rate per 1,000 live and stillbirths Highest Sandwell 70 16.6 Powys 21 16.5 Central Birmingham 48 16.4 Calderdale 41 16.3 Maidstone 35 15.8 West Cumbria 28 15.7 Wakefield 29 15.7 Bradford 89 15.5 East Birmingham 51 15.5 Rotherham 53 15.4 Lowest Hartlepool 6 4.7 Lancaster 7 4.8 Southport and Formby 5 4.8 Bromley 16 5.1 Victoria (London) 8 5.2 Chester 12 3.3 West Norfolk and Wisbech 11 5.4 Oxfordshire 38 5.8 East Hertfordshire 20 5.9 Hampstead 8 6.2 Note:
Figures for DHAs should be interpreted with care as rates based on small numbers of events can fluctuate widely from year to year.