§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stockton, South (Ms Taylor) of 22 February 2000,Official Report, column 975W, if the figures for the number of low-birthweight babies in England and Wales born between 1990 and 1998 are derived from a consistent method of measurement. [117068]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe 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. Frank Field, dated 4 April 2000:
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking if the figures for the number of low birthweight babies between 1990 to 1998 are from a consistent method of measurement.The figures provided in the Answer to the honourable Member of Stockton South in 22nd February Official Report, column 975W were all based on a definition of low birthweight as a birth where the baby was stated to have weighed less than 2,500 grams. The figures were provided for health authorities between 1990 and 1998. These were subject to a number of boundary changes. For consistency the figures provided for all of these years related to boundaries as at 1st April 1999.