Winter Mortality

HC Deb 25 October 1999 vol 336 cc709-10W

Mr. Boswell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the excess monthly winter mortality over each of the last five years. [94948]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Tim Boswell, dated 25 October 1999: As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question on excess monthly winter mortality. Information on excess deaths in winter months is shown below.

Excess winter deaths, England and Wales, 1993–94 to 1997–98
Year	Excess winter deaths
1993–94	25,900
1994–95	27,300
1995–96	40,190
1996–97	47,690
1997–98	22,900

Excess winter deaths are defined as the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average of the number of deaths during the preceding autumn (August to November) and the following summer (April to July).