HC Deb 03 March 1997 vol 291 cc490-2W
Mr. Simpson

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what have been the excess winter mortality rates for each of the last 10 years expressed in terms of excess(a) numbers and (b) percentages for (i) people over the age of 65 years, (ii) single parent families, (iii) people in receipt of income support, (iv) people with disabilities and (v) others; [17431]

(2) what have been the excess winter mortality rates in England for the past 10 years expressed (a) in excess numbers and (b) as percentages. [17423]

Mrs. Angela Knight

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. Alan Simpson, dated 3 March 1997: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply to your recent question asking what have been the excess winter mortality rates in England for the last 10 years expressed in (a) in excess numbers and (b) as percentages.

The figures you requested are shown in the following table:

Excess winter deaths, England, all persons, all ages
Period Excess winter deaths Excess winter deaths index
1986–87 24,654 14.8
1987–88 31,493 18.7
1988–89 20,326 12.1
1989–90 44,370 26.5
1990–91 35,718 21.6
1991–92 33,015 20.1
1992–93 24,194 14.6
1993–94 25,029 14.7
1994–95 25,757 15.6
1995–961 37,990 23.1
1 Provisional.

Excess Winter Deaths are defined as the number of deaths in the four months from December to March, minus the average of the numbers in the preceding autumn (August-November) and the following summer (April-July).

The Excess Winter Deaths Index is the number of excess winter deaths expressed as a percentage of the average of the number of deaths in the autumn and the summer periods.

You also asked for the excess winter mortality rates for each of the last 10 years expressed in terms of excess (a) the numbers and (b) percentages for (i) people over the age of 65 years, (ii) single parent families, (iii) people in receipt of income support, (iv) people with disabilities and (v) others.

Information on parental status, income, or physical impairment is not collected at death registration and we are therefore unable to provide data in terms of these characteristics.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the weekly number of excess deaths for December 1996 and January 1997; and what were the figures for the same periods in each of the last five years. [17382]

Mrs. Knight

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. Alan Simpson, dated 3 March 1997: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as Director of the Office for National Statistics, to your recent question asking for the weekly number of excess deaths for December 1996 and January 1997, and the figures for the same periods in each of the last five years. The data on deaths by week of occurrence for England are shown in the tables below:

Week beginning Deaths
December 1991 to January 1992
25 November 1991 10,475
2 December 1991 10,289
9 December 1991 11,477
16 December 1991 12,126
23 December 1991 12,287
30 December 1991 13,106
6 January 1992 12,696
13 January 1992 11,970
20 January 1992 11,567
27 January 1992 12,002
December 1992 to January 1993
30 November 1992 10,397
7 December 1992 10,395
14 December 1992 10,664
21 December 1992 11,313
28 December 1992 12,082

Week beginning Deaths
4 January 1993 12,673
11 January 1993 11,716
18 January 1993 10,978
25 January 1993 10,781
December 1993 to January 1994
29 November 1993 13,197
6 December 1993 12,603
13 December 1993 12,302
20 December 1993 12,085
27 December 1993 12,554
3 January 1994 12,447
10 January 1994 11,816
17 January 1994 11,493
24 January 1994 11,045
31 January 1994 10,988
December to January 1995
28 November 1994 9,785
5 December 1994 10,528
12 December 1994 10,690
19 December 1994 11,523
26 December 1994 12,292
2 January 1995 12,193
9 January 1995 11,682
16 January 1995 11,543
23 January 1995 11,609
30 January 1995 11,055
December 1995-January 19961
27 November 1995 11,452
4 December 1995 11,676
11 December 1995 12,535
18 December 1995 13,569
25 December 1995 14,191
1 January 1996 14,528
8 January 1996 13,079
15 January 1996 11,525
22 January 1996 11,467
29 January 1996 11,294
December 1996-January 19971
25 November 1996 10,013
2 December 1996 10,276
9 December 1996 10,769
16 December 1996 12,116
23 December 1996 13,544
30 December 1996 16,002
6 January 1997 16,044
13 January 1997 14,242
20 January 1997 12,482
27 January 1997 11,341
1 Provisional data.

Annual weekly average
Number
1991 10,269
1992 10,051
1993 10,406
1994 9,954
1995 10,242
1996 110,164
1 Provisional.

I hope this reply has been helpful.