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Treasury;Office for National Statistics

Answer

Mr. Lock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of the public have died in (a) accidents and (b) suicides in the River Severn in the Wyre Forest District Council area in the past 10 years; and what was the cause of death in each case. [91581] Ms Hewitt: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply. Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. David Lock, dated 21 July 1999: As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent question on how many members of the public have died in the River Severn. Between 1993 and 1998, there were seven deaths in the Kidderminster Registration District, which is broadly coterminous with the area administered by Wyre Forest District Council, where the River Severn was mentioned on the coroner's certificate of death. In addition, there were three deaths which occurred in a river not specified by the coroner. Corresponding data for years prior to 1993 are not available. The verdicts and underlying causes of the ten deaths are given in the table. Number of deaths in Kidderminster registration district, where the River Severn or an unspecified river is mentioned, 1993-98 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Verdict Cause River Severn River not specified Suicide Drowning 1 0 Open Drowning 3 1 Cause not ascertainable 1 0 Accident Fall into water 1 1 Fall into water in course of 0 1 epileptic fit Drowning 1 0 Total 7 3 _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

91581; 335 c556W;335 c558-9W

Session

1998-99

Subjects

Death Accidents Rivers Suicide River Severn Wyre Forest

Contains statistics

Yes