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Nutrition (Schools)

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the report by Professor James into food issues and schools which was prepared for his Department. [14770]

Ms Jowell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and I are meeting Professor James later this month to discuss his draft report on healthy active schools. A decision on how best to publicise his recommendations will be taken after discussion with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education.

Children's Rights

Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish an office of Children's Rights Commissioner. [14942]

Mr. Boateng: The Government have no plans to establish an office of Children's Rights Commissioner. During 1998 the Government will be preparing the Second United Kingdom Report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in accordance with the requirements of Article 44 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989. We will take into account possible advantages of such an Office and seek to assess progress in other countries where such an Office has been established.

Winter Mortality Rates

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what have been the excess winter mortality rates in (a) Lancashire, (b) Cornwall, (c) Tyneside and (d) Suffolk for each of the last 10 years in terms of (i) excess numbers and (ii) percentages for (1) those aged 65 to 80 years, (2) those aged over 80 years, (3) single parent families, (4) people in receipt of income support, (5) people with disabilities and (6) others. [14259]

Mrs. Liddell: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from John Fox to Mr. Nigel Evans, dated 7 November 1997:

The Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been asked to answer your recent question on excess winter deaths in Lancashire, Cornwall, Tyneside and Suffolk for each of the last 10 years. In his absence, I am replying as the Director of the Census, Population and Health Group.

The estimated numbers of excess deaths in each county during the last ten winters, based on the latest available data, are presented in the following table. The percentage of excess winter deaths among those aged 65 to 80 years and among those aged over 80 years are also given.

7 Nov 1997 : Column: 382

	Number of excess winter deaths(3)	Percentage of excess winter deaths
	All ages	65-80 years	Over 80 years
Lancashire
1987-88	1,110	49	41
1988-89	720	42	55
1989-90	1,710	43	47
1990-91	1,100	44	53
1991-92	1,050	40	53
1992-93	960	29	56
1993-94	820	26	57
1994-95	810	44	50
1995-96	1,210	38	52
1996-97	1,520	27	60
Cornwall
1987-88	340	46	52
1988-89	160	54	43
1989-90	490	41	54
1990-91	500	39	48
1991-92	450	49	44
1992-93	210	37	49
1993-94	310	17	67
1994-95	320	22	59
1995-96	420	28	67
1996-97	650	25	65
Tyne and Wear
1987-88	840	42	48
1988-89	500	37	52
1989-90	1,020	48	42
1990-91	780	43	40
1991-92	970	44	46
1992-93	440	43	46
1993-94	680	45	42
1994-95	580	39	47
1995-96	820	43	48
1996-97	990	44	51
Suffolk
1987-88	370	34	58
1988-89	450	47	49
1989-90	550	29	57
1990-91	590	44	48
1991-92	400	36	62
1992-93	350	32	66
1993-94	320	42	57
1994-95	490	36	54
1995-96	560	28	67
1996-97	760	31	64

(3) Rounded to the nearest 10.

Excess winter deaths are defined as the number of deaths in the four months from December to March less the average of the numbers during the preceding autumn (August to November) and the following summer (April to July). The table gives the percentage of the excess attributable to each of the given age groups.

The mortality data collected by the ONS do not include information on whether the deceased was a single parent, in receipt of income support or disabled. It is therefore not possible to calculate the percentage of excess winter deaths among these groups.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Employment Service (Annual Report)

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the Employment Service annual report and accounts for 1996-97 will be laid before Parliament. [15308]

7 Nov 1997 : Column: 383

Mr. Blunkett: I have today laid before the House the Employment Service's Annual Report and Accounts for 1996-97 which give full details of performance in that operational year.

The Report notes that the Employment Service achieved some very significant successes in 1996-97. Most notably, the Service rose to the major challenges of successfully introducing the Jobseeker's Allowance and implementing the Labour Market System in the same operational year. Both were very large undertakings which required effective management and considerable investment in infrastructure, training and systems. The intensive effort which the ES had to devote to these two initiatives did result, however, in the Service not meeting a number of its job placing and other targets.

The Report notes that there has in addition been some misrecording of job placings and that performance for 1996-97 has been over-stated as a result. The causes lie in inconsistent application of ES job broking instructions and weaknesses in the performance validation process which are being tackled as a matter of priority. The ES Chief Executive has provided me with details of the urgent steps he has taken in this respect including issuing fresh and comprehensive instructions on the definitions of a submission and a placing, and the introduction of a new

7 Nov 1997 : Column: 384

and more thorough performance validation system. Alleged cases of deliberate misrecording of placings are being investigated and appropriate disciplinary action will be considered against anyone found deliberately to have contravened the procedures.

The Comptroller and Auditor General in his comments on the Report notes that the Employment Service has taken swift and robust action to address this issue. The NAO and the Service have agreed that the NAO will undertake an annual validation of the Agency's performance measures and performance achieved, beginning in this current operational year. Further details of the action taken by the Employment Service are contained within the report.

It is important to note that the misrecording of placings has no effect on the unemployment count which is taken from the records of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance as shown by the Benefits Agency computer system.

The current review of the Employment Service targets which I announced to the House on 30 July will take these matters into account. I expect the Review to recommend by the end of the year a series of targets which reflect our new priorities, are fully achievable and which can be measured accurately.

7 Nov 1997 : Column: 383

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