§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of low birthweight babies were born in each (i) local and (ii) health authority area in Wales in each of the past 10 years. [81330]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesThe information readily available on a comparable basis for the 22 unitary authorities and 5 health authorities in Wales, provided by the Office for National Statistics, is for 1990 to 1997 and is given in the table.
195W
Distribution of low birthweight babies by authority Health authority/Unitary authority 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 North Wales 22 20 19 19 21 20 20 22 Isle Of Anglesey 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 Gwynedd 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 Conwy 4 3 3 2 4 3 3 4 Denbighshire 3 3 2 3 4 3 2 4 Flintshire 5 5 4 5 4 4 5 5 Wrexham 4 3 5 4 4 4 4 4 Dyfed Powys 13 13 13 14 14 13 14 13 Powys 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 Ceredigion 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 Pembrokeshire 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Carmarthenshire 5 4 4 5 5 4 5 4 Morgannwg 16 17 17 15 15 17 16 16 Swansea 6 7 7 6 6 8 6 6 Neath Port Talbot 5 5 5 5 4 4 6 5 Bridgend 5 5 5 4 5 5 4 5 Bro Taf 26 27 29 29 28 28 29 27 The Vale of Glamorgan 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Cardiff 11 11 13 13 14 12 13 12 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 9 9 10 10 8 9 9 9 Merthyr Tydfil 2 3 2 3 2 2 3 2 Gwent 22 23 22 23 21 22 21 22 Caerphilly 7 6 7 7 7 6 7 6 Blaenau Gwent 3 4 4 3 3 4 3 3 Torfaen 4 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 Monmouthshire 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 Newport 5 6 6 7 6 5 6 6 Note:
Figures may not add-up exactly due to rounding
The figures are based on birthweights below 2,500 grammes for all births, excluding cases where no birthweight was stated.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.