§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if
582WOus, or incomplete, abortion and (c) deaths due to illegal abortion.
§ Dr. OwenThe latest available figures published in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Monitor No. WR 76/16 (Weekly Return for week ended 23rd April 1976) show numbers of registered deaths assigned to abortion in England and Wales as follows:
he will publish the provisional figures, quarter by quarter, for the years 1974 and 1975 and for the first quarter of 1976, for the following operations: (i) prolapse of the womb, (ii) female sterilisation, (iii) myomectomy, (iv) ventrosuspension and (v) hysterectomy.
§ Dr. OwenThe latest information available is in respect of 1973 and I regret that it is not possible to break this down into quarterly figures. Not all those surgical procedures about which data is requested can be specifically identified from routine statistics, but available figures are given below. In particular it is not possible to provide accurate figures for female sterilisation and my Department is already looking into this.
Estimated numbers Prolapse of womb— colporrhaphy 16,000 vaginal hysterectomy 11,400 Myomectomy—excision of lesion of uterus (includes polypectomy) 8,400 Ventrosuspension—hysteropexy 2,100 Hysterectomy 62,900