§ Ms. Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which regional health authorities and which health districts contract out their abortion service to private agencies; which of these private agencies are charitable organisations and which are commercial organisations; and how many abortions were contracted out to private agencies in each of the regional health authorities and health districts for 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe following table indicates the number of abortions contracted out by regional health authorities to private agencies in 1981 and 1982:
Region 1981 *1982 Yorkshire 178 174 NE Thames — 2 NW Thames — 1 SE Thames 19 17 SW Thames 419 642 Wessex — 641 W Midlands 1,690 2,944 Mersey 35 3 N Western 2 1 * Provisional figures. No information on such agency arrangements is available for 1979 and 1980. The information requested on health districts and on the nature of the organisations carrying out abortions on an agency basis could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.