§ Mrs. GoldingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many notifications of(a) child deaths and (b) incidents of serious harm to children have been received by the Department of Health under the terms of part 8 of "Working Together" each year since the implementation of the Children Act 1989.
§ Mr. BowisThe Department does not hold central information in the form requested. The table shows the number of child deaths reported to the Department since 1 April 1991.
Year ending 31 March 1Number reported 1992 2115 1993 116 1994 112 1 Not all deaths are due to abuse and subject to Review under part 8 of Working Together. Figures cover all deaths of children looked after by a local authority or accommodated at a childrens home (eg: this would include children whose deaths were due to natural causes). 2 Figure includes 58 deaths recorded in the period up to 13 October 1991 prior to the implementation of the Children Act 1989.