HC Deb 26 February 1997 vol 291 cc237-8W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 17 February,Official Report, columns 376–77, on what approximate date he expects the completed figures for January 1997 deaths from pneumonia, influenza and bronchitis to be available; and if he will make arrangements for the completed figures to be placed in the Library. [17254]

Mrs. Angela Knight

[holding answer 24 February 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Rhodri Morgan, dated 26 February 1997: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as Director of the Office for National Statistics, to your recent question concerning the approximate date when he expects the completed figures for January 1997 deaths from pneumonia, influenza and bronchitis to be available, and whether he will make arrangements for the completed figures to be placed in the Library. Final figures on monthly deaths from pneumonia, influenza and bronchitis will not be available in published form until the end of 1998. Reasonably usable (unpublished) data for deaths in January 1997 from these conditions should be available by the end of March 1997. These should differ only slightly from the definitive figures to be published next year. Whereas it would be possible to give a virtually complete figure for deaths registered in January 1997, figures for actual occurrences in January would be low because of the delay between the event and its registration. The registration figures for January would include deaths that occurred in the preceding December and earlier. I hope this reply has been helpful.