§ Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the evidence on which the finding is based that premature death from (a) cancer has reduced by 10 per cent. and (b) coronary heart disease has reduced by 23 per cent. since 1997, as set out in the foreword to the consultation document Choosing Health. [160660]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson: "Our Healthier Nation", the Government's overall health strategy for England, sets out targets to reduce the death rates from cancer by at least 20 per cent., and all circulatory diseases by at least 40 per cent., in people aged under 75 years by 2010. Progress in respect of these targets are measured against the baseline of the average of the three years 1995,1996 and 1997.
The targets are monitored using mortality statistics from death registrations provided by the Office for National Statistics. The mortality rates are subsequently calculated by the Department of Health. Mortality rates are age standardised to allow for changes in the age structure of the population (using the European standard population as defined by the World Health Organisation).
The following tables show the three year average mortality rates for all cancers and all circulatory diseases since the baseline figure was established.
All cancers (Malignant Neoplasms)(ICD10 C00-C97) Persons—aged under 75 years England 3 year average mortality rate 1995–96–97 (Baseline) 141.4 1996–97–98 138.7 1997–98–99 135.1 1998–99–2000 132.3 1999–2000–01 129.1 2000–01–02 126.8 Percentage change in rate since baseline -10.3 Source:
Office for National Statistics (European age standardized mortality rates per 100,000 population from death registrations, calculations by Department of Health).
1132W
All circulatory diseases (ICD10 100–199) Persons—aged under 75 years England 3 year average mortality rate 1995–96–97(Baseline) 141.5 1996–97–98 135.7 1997–98–99 128.7
All circulatory diseases (ICD10 100–199) Persons—aged under 75 years England 3 year average mortality rate 1998–99–2000 122.0 1999–2000–01 114.8 2000–01–02 108.5 Percentage change in rate since baseline -23.4 Source:
Office for National Statistics (European age standardized mortality rates per 100,000 population from death registrations, calculations by Department of Health).