Vince Cable

In the next few weeks a campaign will be launched nationally and locally to prevent the death of newly born babies and stillborn children.

Everyday, in the UK, seven babies die within four weeks of birth and ten are stillborn: 17 a day. A campaign - Why17? - has been launched to cut the death rate.

A local couple, Alison and Gary Gale of Fulwell, are promoting the campaign. Their own son Henry - a twin - died 29 days after birth in 2005, after he had been shuttled between the West Middlesex; St George's, Tooting; and Chelsea and Westminster, where he died.

Vincent Cable MP will be with them at the launch of the campaign in the House of Commons on 4th March and he has already contacted local hospitals to ask after their commitment to averting unnecessary deaths amongst the newly born or stillborn. He said: "There seems to be a rather complacent assumption that these deaths are unavoidable. But in other countries they are much lower. It is to the great credit of Mr and Mrs Gale and others that after their personal tragedy they want to help others avoid the same experience."