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Death: Weather

Volume 486: debated on Thursday 15 January 2009

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people died from factors attributable to cold weather in (a) each London borough and (b) each English region in each of the last 10 years. (247032)

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated January 2009:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died from factors attributable to cold weather in (a) each London borough and (b) each English region in each of the last 10 years. (247032)

Estimates of excess winter deaths are based on the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding four months (August to November) and the following four months (April to July). It is not possible to say whether these deaths were related to cold weather. The table attached provides the number of excess winter deaths in (a) each London Borough and (b) each government office region from 1997/98 to 2006/07 (the latest available).

Table 1. Number of excess winter deaths1,2 in each London borough and government office region, 1997-98 to 2006-07

Deaths (persons)

Area

1997-98

1998-99

1999-2000

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

London boroughs

City of London

0

0

10

10

0

0

-10

0

0

10

Barking and Dagenham

40

120

200

120

90

100

90

110

60

60

Barnet

150

260

290

60

240

130

110

140

100

50

Bexley

130

170

190

140

10

150

70

150

110

120

Brent

60

150

180

70

70

70

100

90

30

40

Bromley

50

280

260

190

50

150

120

120

130

150

Camden

80

120

120

70

50

60

70

90

50

30

Croydon

130

290

320

160

190

100

100

150

130

40

Ealing

110

140

210

50

120

120

70

150

50

60

Enfield

150

280

260

40

120

180

70

150

80

60

Greenwich

60

130

190

110

60

70

70

140

20

60

Hackney

60

120

120

60

40

90

0

50

80

60

Hammersmith and Fulham

10

90

120

80

60

100

0

110

50

70

Haringey

80

120

100

50

70

110

60

60

50

30

Harrow

120

140

150

100

80

60

80

90

70

40

Havering

30

230

290

50

150

180

170

160

100

90

Hillingdon

130

130

240

110

120

100

70

150

120

70

Hounslow

80

150

180

100

110

80

60

20

130

-10

Islington

40

100

80

20

70

40

40

80

70

70

Kensington and Chelsea

40

50

80

30

40

40

50

70

30

60

Kingston upon Thames

90

120

150

70

110

40

40

90

110

80

Lambeth

60

130

180

80

30

90

70

70

110

60

Lewisham

80

170

210

120

110

140

40

150

90

80

Merton

70

120

140

90

20

60

40

90

90

100

Newham

30

140

280

110

100

100

40

100

20

50

Redbridge

80

260

220

80

140

60

80

130

100

100

Richmond upon Thames

110

170

160

20

60

100

70

100

70

60

Southwark

100

80

210

110

60

40

50

80

50

80

Sutton

90

150

150

110

80

10

50

120

130

60

Tower Hamlets

50

140

110

80

50

30

10

80

80

60

Waltham Forest

70

170

190

120

60

100

30

170

70

50

Wandsworth

120

140

180

90

110

80

60

150

140

110

Westminster

50

100

130

100

70

40

60

30

40

30

Government office regions

North East

1,550

2,370

2,680

1,550

1,530

1,260

1,190

1,460

1,080

1,510

North West

2,770

7,350

6.090

3,730

4,040

3,180

3,560

4,440

3,000

3,430

Yorkshire and the Humber

2,460

4,760

4,620

2,570

2.840

2,230

2,710

3,250

2,070

2,330

East Midlands

2,000

4,090

3,820

2,200

2,300

2,050

1,990

2,460

1,990

2,010

West Midlands

2,460

4,860

5,290

2,590

2,670

2,610

2,560

3,590

2,710

2,670

East of England

2,540

4,800

4,880

2,430

2,790

2,480

2,280

3,290

2,810

2,570

London

2,520

4,940

5,870

2,780

2,750

2,810

2,040

3,440

2,560

2,070

South East

3,210

6,710

7,680

3,150

4,140

3,670

3,310

4,590

4,680

3,030

South West

2,240

4,130

4,730

2,270

2,740

2,360

2,290

3,220

2,840

2,780

1 The estimated number of excess winter deaths is the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding four months (August to November) and the following four months (April to July). Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

2 Data are based on deaths occurring in each month.