§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is(a) the population and (b) the standardised mortality rate for each health region.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe information for 1991 (the latest year for which information is available) is shown in the table:
Population and standardised mortality ratios for England and Wales by regional health authority for 1991 Provisional estimate of resident population at mid-1991 (thousands) Standardised mortality ratio 1 1991 England and Wales 50,954.8 100 England 48,068.4 100 Wales 2,886.4 101 Northern 3,084.2 113 Yorkshire 3,661.5 103 Trent 4,700.4 102 East Anglian 2,091.9 92 North West Thames 3,560.4 95 North East Thames 3,756.7 99 South East Thames 3,686.2 96 South West Thames 3,023.1 92 Wessex 2,983.0 91 Oxford 2,559.9 94 South Western 3,298.0 92 West Midlands 5,254.9 103 Mersey 2,407.5 108 North Western 4,000.7 111 1 A standardised mortality ratio (SMR) is a single figure measure of mortality and is used to examine the relationship between: (1) the actual number of deaths in any given area and for any given period, and; in this instance (2) the number that would have been expected had that area experienced the sex and age specific mortality rates observed in England and Wales as a whole during that year. England and Wales in this instance is the 'standard' by which the other areas arc measured and accordingly has an SM R of 100.