Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the reasons for life expectancy of residents of Ashfield being lower than the national average.

There has been a significant increase in life expectancy in Ashfield since 2000/02 in line with the national trend. The current life expectancy at birth for both males (78.0 years) and females (82.0 years) in Ashfield is significantly lower than the national average (79.5 years and 83.2 years respectively).

The rate of mortality from causes considered preventable was 210.7 per 100,000; this is significantly higher than the national average of 182.7 per 100,000.

Our health as individuals, and as communities, is influenced by many factors including the social and economic environment in which we are raised, live and work.