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Hypothermia

Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many deaths, where hypothermia was mentioned on the death certificate as the main or contributory cause of death, took place in each (a) region and (b) parliamentary constituency of Scotland in 1997, amongst those (i) of all ages, (ii) aged 60 to 74, (iii) aged 74 to 84 and (iv) aged over 85 years; what were the winter mortality rates in each of those areas for (1) the population as a whole, (2) people aged 60 to 74, (3) people aged 75 to 84 and (4) people aged 85 years and over; and what the percentage increase was in each group in each area compared to non-winter deaths in 1997-98. [72593]

Mr. McLeish [holding answer 1 March 1999]: The information requested is presented in the following tables.

There is no universally recognised definition of winter mortality. The information presented in the second table is based on a formula that has been used in recent years by the Office for National Statistics when presenting data for England and Wales. This defines 'excess' winter deaths as the difference between the number of deaths during the four 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). A negative figure occurs when the average non-winter deaths exceed the winter deaths. As this is a crude measure of the increase in mortality associated with winter conditions the numbers of excess deaths have been rounded to the nearest ten.

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 780

Deaths where hypothermia was mentioned as a main or contributory cause of death, by health board area and selected age group, Scotland, 1997

	All ages	60-74	75-84	85 and over
Scotland	89	23	21	20
Argyll and Clyde	10	2	4	1
Ayrshire and Arran	6	1	0	5
Borders	1	1	0	0
Dumfries and Galloway	0	0	0	0
Fife	2	0	0	2
Forth Valley	3	0	0	0
Grampian	8	0	4	1
Greater Glasgow	24	6	6	3
Highland	4	0	2	1
Lanarkshire	11	5	1	1
Lothian	19	7	4	6
Orkney	0	0	0	0
Shetland	0	0	0	0
Tayside	1	1	0	0
Western Isles	0	0	0	0

Deaths where hypothermia was mentioned as a main or contributory cause of death, by parliamentary constituency and selected age group, Scotland, 1997

	All ages	60-74	75-84	85 and over
Aberdeen Central	3	0	0	1
Aberdeen South	3	0	3	0
Angus	1	1	0	0
Argyll and Bute	2	0	0	0
Ayr	3	1	0	2
Banff and Buchan	1	0	1	0
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross	1	0	0	0
Central Fife	1	0	0	1
Clydebank and Milngavie	2	1	0	1
Clydesdale	3	2	1	0
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	1	0	0	1
Dumbarton	1	1	0	0
East Kilbride	1	0	0	0
East Lothian	2	0	1	1
Eastwood	2	1	1	0
Edinburgh Central	2	0	1	1
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh	3	2	0	0
Edinburgh North and Leith	4	1	0	2
Edinburgh West	3	1	1	1
Glasgow Anniesland	1	0	0	0
Glasgow Baillieston	1	0	0	0
Glasgow Govan	2	0	0	0
Glasgow Kelvin	4	1	1	1
Glasgow Maryhill	2	1	0	1
Glasgow Pollock	1	0	0	0
Glasgow Rutherglen	1	1	0	0
Glasgow Shettleston	4	1	1	0
Glasgow Springburn	2	0	2	0
Greenock and Inverclyde	1	0	1	0
Hamilton North and Bellshill	2	0	0	0
Hamilton South	2	1	0	0
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber	1	0	1	0
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	3	0	0	3
Linlithgow	3	3	0	0
Livingston	2	0	1	1
Moray	1	0	0	0
Motherwell and Wishaw	2	2	0	0
North East Fife	1	0	0	1
Ochil	2	0	0	0
Paisley South	4	1	2	0
Ross, Skye and Inverness West	2	0	1	1
Roxburgh and Berwickshire	1	1	0	0
Stirling	1	0	0	0
Strathkelvin and Bearsden	2	0	1	0
West Renfrewshire	2	0	1	1

Note:

There were no such deaths in constituencies not listed

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 782

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 781

Winter mortality by health board area and selected age group, Scotland 1997-98 (27)

	All ages		60-74		75-84		85 and over
	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths
Scotland	2,270	12	650	12	830	14	720	16
Argyll and Clyde	70	9	10	5	40	17	10	5
Ayrshire and Arran	210	13	60	14	70	14	80	17
Borders	220	14	70	16	50	10	100	24
Dumfries and Galloway	80	6	10	3	60	14	20	6
Fife	320	12	100	14	110	13	80	12
Forth Valley	0	0	10	9	20	14	-20	-14
Grampian	140	15	20	7	70	23	50	21
Greater Glasgow	300	18	80	16	140	28	80	20
Highland	440	12	150	13	120	11	120	15
Lanarkshire	320	17	140	23	90	15	70	19
Lothian	120	8	30	7	20	4	80	24
Orkney	10	2	-20	-10	20	11	30	19
Shetland	20	27	0	0	10	43	10	53
Tayside	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Western Isles	20	16	10	37	0	0	10	24

(27) Provisional

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 781

Winter mortality, by parliamentary constituency and selected age group, Scotland, 1997-98 (28)

	All ages		60-74		75-84		85 and over
	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths
Aberdeen Central	40	15	0	0	40	51	0	0
Aberdeen North	40	22	10	17	20	38	20	56
Aberdeen South	50	22	10	19	10	15	10	13
Airdrie and Shotts	30	11	20	23	20	25	10	17
Angus	60	21	10	13	10	10	50	59
Argyll and Bute	30	9	10	11	30	32	10	10
Ayr	60	20	0	0	10	10	20	23
Banff and Buchan	30	11	0	0	0	0	20	31
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross	30	14	20	35	20	32	0	0
Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley	50	16	30	32	20	20	10	15
Central Fife	10	4	0	0	30	39	-10	-17
Clydebank and Milngavie	20	8	-10	-13	10	11	20	37
Clydesdale	60	20	30	41	20	20	20	27
Coatbridge and Chryston	50	21	10	11	0	0	30	81
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	20	12	10	15	10	21	0	0
Cunninghame North	10	3	0	0	0	0	20	27
Cunninghame South	-10	-4	-20	-24	20	31	0	0
Dumbarton	60	22	20	26	30	42	20	27
Dumfries	0	0	-20	-20	0	0	20	24
Dundee East	30	9	10	10	0	0	0	0
Dundee West	60	20	30	34	20	23	10	14
Dunfermline East	-10	-4	0	0	10	12	-10	-18
Dunfermline West	30	14	0	0	10	14	20	42
East Kilbride	20	8	20	24	0	0	-10	-18
East Lothian	60	21	30	45	0	0	20	26
Eastwood	20	8	0	0	0	0	20	28
Edinburgh Central	30	12	10	16	0	0	20	28
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh	60	20	0	0	30	35	10	14
Edinburgh North and Leith	60	24	20	30	20	28	10	13
Edinburgh Pentlands	50	26	30	71	10	16	10	19
Edinburgh South	20	6	10	14	10	10	-10	-8
Edinburgh West	40	16	20	27	10	12	10	18
Falkirk East	30	12	10	12	30	42	0	0
Falkirk West	50	19	0	0	30	36	20	30
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale	10	3	-10	-11	20	23	10	13
Glasgow Anniesland	70	21	30	34	20	16	10	12
Glasgow Baillieston	10	4	0	0	0	0	0	0
Glasgow Cathcart	20	8	-10	-12	20	27	10	18
Glasgow Govan	10	3	20	26	-10	-12	0	0
Glasgow Kelvin	30	12	30	38	-10	-14	10	18
Glasgow Maryhill	60	20	20	21	10	12	10	20
Glasgow Pollock	60	20	20	21	30	32	10	16
Glasgow Rutherglen	40	15	30	38	10	11	-10	-16
Glasgow Shettleston	30	10	0	0	20	24	10	20
Glasgow Springburn	40	12	10	9	30	34	10	17
Gordon	30	14	20	37	0	0	10	16
Greenock and Inverclyde	40	14	10	12	20	22	10	17
Hamilton North and Bellshill	40	18	10	14	10	14	10	26
Hamilton South	30	14	10	14	10	15	0	0
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber	0	0	0	0	10	11	-10	-11
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	10	3	20	20	-20	-16	10	15
Kirkcaldy	20	7	20	28	0	0	20	26
Linlithgow	0	0	10	13	0	0	-10	-21
Livingston	20	8	-10	-12	20	33	10	21
Midlothian	10	4	-10	-13	10	12	10	21
Moray	30	12	10	14	0	0	20	27
Motherwell and Wilshaw	90	35	30	33	30	38	20	42
North East Fife	30	11	0	0	10	11	0	0
North Tayside	40	14	0	0	10	10	20	24
Ochil	40	15	20	26	10	11	20	31
Orkney and Shetland	30	19	0	0	10	20	10	21
Paisley North	60	26	30	37	20	33	20	48
Paisley South	60	22	20	24	20	24	20	30
Perth	30	9	20	24	0	0	10	11
Ross, Skye and Inverness West	30	12	-10	-14	10	11	30	49
Roxburgh and Berwickshire	10	4	10	17	20	23	-10	-14
Stirling	30	13	0	0	10	14	20	30
Strathkelvin and Bearsden	20	8	10	14	10	13	10	21
Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale	-20	-8	-10	-17	0	0	-10	-14
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
West Renfrewshire	30	14	0	0	10	14	10	20
Western Isles	20	16	10	37	0	0	10	24

(28) Provisional

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 783

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 783

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many deaths, where hypothermia was mentioned on the death certificate as the main or contributory cause of death, took place in Scotland in (a) 1997, (b) 1992, (c) 1987, (d) 1982 and (e) 1977 amongst those (i) of all ages, (ii) aged 60 to 74, (iii) aged 74 to 84 and (iv) aged over 85 years; what were the winter mortality rates for (1) the population as a whole, (2) people aged 60 to 74, (3) people aged 75 to 84 and (4) people aged 85 years and over; and what the percentage increase was in each group compared to non-winter deaths in 1997-98, 1992-93, 1987-88, 1982-83 and 1977-78, respectively. [72594]

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 784

Mr. McLeish [holding answer 1 March 1999]: The information requested in presented in the following tables.

There is no universally recognised definition of winter mortality. The information presented in the second table is based on a formula that has been used in recent years by the Office for National Statistics when presenting data for England and Wales. This defines 'excess' winter deaths as the difference between the number of deaths during the four 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). As this is a crude measure of the increase in mortality associated with winter conditions the numbers of excess deaths have been rounded to the nearest ten.

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 785

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 786

Winter mortality, by selected age group, Scotland, 1977-78 to 1997-98

	Age group
	All ages		60-74		75-84		85 and over
	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths	Excess winter deaths	% increase compared to non-winter deaths
1977-78	4,890	25	1,630	21	1,770	31	1,020	40
1982-83	4,390	22	1,310	18	1,690	27	1,130	40
1987-88	2,390	12	760	11	890	14	630	18
1992-93	2,630	13	610	10	920	14	930	23
1997-98(29)	2,270	12	650	12	830	14	720	16

(29) 1997-98 figures are provisional

31 Mar 1999 : Column: 785

Deaths where hypothermia was mentioned as a main or contributory cause of death, selected age groups, Scotland, 1977-97

Year	All ages	60-74	75-84	85 and over
1977	158	42	70	29
1982	196	61	73	38
1987	153	39	51	34
1992	117	39	31	26
1997	89	23	21	20

Note:

because of coding changes in 1979, information for 1977 is not directly comparable to that for later years.

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