§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the infant mortality rate in each country in the EU; and what assessment he has made of the factors underlying variations. [36889]
493W
§ Mr. HoramThe table supplies details of the infant mortality rate in the United Kingdom and other European Union countries. The causes of health variations are complex. They are associated with a range of often interacting factors, including geography, socio-economic status, gender, ethnicity, life style and environment.
Infant mortality rate in European Union countries, circa 1993 Country Year Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births United Kingdom 11992 6.58 Austria 1994 6.25 Belgium 1989 8.53 Denmark 1993 5.40 Finland 1993 4.40 France 1992 6.82 Germany 1994 5.08 Greece 1993 8.30 Ireland 1992 6.67 Italy 1991 8.22 Luxembourg 1993 5.23 Netherlands 1993 6.29 Portugal 1993 8.73 Spain 1992 7.05 Sweden 1992 5.19 Source:
World Health Organisation European Office 'Health for All' database.
Note:
1 More up to date figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate that the infant mortality rate in England and Wales in 1995 was 6.1 per 1,000 live births.