Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Office for National Statistics' recent figures projecting a decline in life expectancy in certain areas of the UK, in particular in industrial areas; what assessment they have made of the possible causes for this decline; and what further plans they have, if any, to help to ensure health equality in England.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not produce life expectancy projections for sub-national areas of the United Kingdom. Their current national projections do not project a decline in life expectancy in the UK as a whole, or in any of its constituent countries.

The ONS estimates of life expectancy for recent time periods do show falls in some local authorities. Care needs to be taken when analysing and interpreting local authority data as their small populations mean their life expectancy is subject to fluctuations from year to year. Public Health England is continuing with work to understand recent trends and geographic patterns to establish if there are factors that can be addressed.

We are acting to reduce health inequalities by addressing the social causes of ill health, promoting healthier lifestyles for all and tackling differences in access and outcomes of National Health Service services, all underpinned by legal duties. Action is led locally to ensure the solutions put in place reflect the needs of individual communities.