What criteria it currently takes into account in the measurement of health inequalities.

Inequalities in health are reflected in many different aspects of people's health. For example, the proportion of babies born with low birth weight is higher among people living in relatively deprived areas. The incidence of many diseases including lung cancer, coronary heart disease and respiratory diseases is also much higher in deprived areas. Mortality rates are higher and as a result the average life expectancy of people living in deprived areas is less than that of people living in more affluent areas. There is, therefore, no single measure of health inequalities but rather a wide range of measures that must be taken into account to reflect the influence of socio-economic circumstances on health.Tackling inequalities is a key priority for the Scottish Executive and our long-term aims for tackling poverty and injustice were set out in Social justice... a Scotland where everyone matters. Several of the milestones in the Social Justice document are important measures of health. Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change reinforces our commitment to tackling health inequalities within Scotland, and states that "we will develop the health indicators within our Social Justice framework of targets and milestones to track progress in tackling health inequalities".