The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 25 June 2008:"As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the latest estimate is of (a) the overall mortality rate and (b) cigarette smoking-related mortality rate in (i) Leeds West constituency and (ii) Leeds Metropolitan District in each of the last five years. (213359)""The table attached provides the age-standardised mortality rates for (i) Leeds West parliamentary constituency, for 2001 to 2005 (the latest year available) and (ii) Leeds metropolitan district, for 2001 to 2006 (the latest year available).""Deaths related to cigarette smoking cannot be directly estimated, as smoking status is not included on the death certificate. However, research published by the then Health Development Agency in 2004 suggested that, in the period 1998-2002, some 17 per cent. of all deaths in England were attributable to smoking.¹""¹ Twigg L, Moon G, Walker S (2004) The smoking epidemic in England. London; Health Development Agency" Table 1: Age-standardised mortality rate per 100,000 population¹ all-cause mortality, Leeds West parliamentary constituency (i) and Leeds metropolitan district (ii), 2001-06²,³ Rate per 100,000 Year (i) Leeds West (ii) Leeds 2001 728 683 2002 770 681 2003 717 672 2004 707 637 2005 685 626 2006 — 607 ¹ Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. ² Based on boundaries as of 2008. ³ Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.