§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration has been given by her Department to the funding of a television advertising campaign advising parents of the steps that can be taken significantly to reduce the risk of cot deaths; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe use of television and press advertising was an essential element of the "Back to Sleep" campaign launched in 1991, when the advice being promoted about a baby's sleeping position represented a significant departure from most parents' practice at the time. The success of this approach is evident both from the dramatic fall in the number of cot deaths that has since occurred—from 1,008 in 1991 to 442 in 1993, England and Wales—and from recent evidence about changes that have taken place in infant care practice. Now that the message about sleeping position has become widely accepted, the Government consider that the current initiatives designed to provide comprehensive advice represent a practicable means of helping parents.
Advice on reducing the risks is widely available. First, good practice advice on baby care is available to pregnant women and new parents through direct contact with midwives, health visitors, general practitioners, obstetricians, and paediatricians in the course of routine care. Secondly, advice is included in the Health Education Authority's publications, the Pregnancy Book given free to first-time pregnant women, and Birth to Five, given free to first-time parents. Thirdly, the Department of Health leaflet, Reducing the Risk of Cot Death, continues to be available and almost 5 million have been distributed to date.
The recently announced national anti-smoking campaign managed by the Health Education Authority further supports initiatives on cot death. The campaign, which is intended to reduce smoking among adults, and especially parents, is particularly relevant to cot death as smoking is known to be a major risk factor.
§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what amount of correspondence she has received on the issue of cot deaths over(a) the last 12 months and (b) since 17 November 1994.
§ Mr. SackvilleInformation on the amount of correspondence received in the Department as at 17 January in which this subject was the primary topic, is contained in the table.
638W
Date Numbers 18 January 1994 to 17 January 1995 Correspondence answered by Ministers 172 Correspondence answered by officials 235 17 November 1994 to 17 January 1995 Correspondence answered by Ministers 152 Correspondence answered by officials 188