§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the number of women resident in the United Kingdom who had an abortion in 1987 who already had(a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five previous abortions;
(2) if he will list the number of women in the Basildon area health authority who had an abortion in 1987 who already had (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four or (e) five previous abortions.
§ Mr. FreemanThe notification form for abortions carried out under the Abortion Act 1967 requires information about previous abortions to the woman concerned to be recorded, distinguishing between spontaneous miscarriages and legal terminations.
The table shows the information requested for abortions performed in England and Wales in 1987 for those women having had one or more previous spontaneous miscarriages or legal terminations.
Notifications having at least one previous spontaneous miscarriage and also at least one previous legal termination, and women having more than one abortion under the Act in 1987 will be counted more than once in the statistics.
Numbers of abortions performed to usual residents of (a) United Kingdom and (b) Basildon District Health Authority where the woman had had 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 previous abortions, England and Wales, 1987 United Kingdom Basildon DHA Previous spontaneous miscarriages 1 9,269 881 2 1,592 85 3/4/5 626 11 Previous legal terminations 1 26,466 173 2 3,703 17 3/4/5 832 3
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions have been performed in England and Wales under the Abortion Act 1967; how many of these abortions were performed in an emergency to save the life of a mother; and what percentage this latter figure represents of the lower, in each year since 1968.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information is shown in the table.
190W
Number of abortions performed in England and Wales, under the Abortion Act 1967, and number performed under ground 5 of the Act3, 27 April 1968 to September 19881 Year Total abortions Number under ground 5 Per cent. A B B of A 1968 23,641 16 .068 1969 54,819 14 .026 1970 86,565 10 .012 1971 126,777 10 .008 1972 159,884 10 .006 1973 167,149 7 .004 1974 162,940 3 .002 1975 139,702 6 .004 1976 129,673 1 .001 1977 133,004 3 .002 1978 141,558 5 .004 1979 149,746 3 .002 1980 160,903 4 .002 1981 162,480 5 .003 1982 163,045 7 .004 1983 162,161 3 .002 1984 169,993 9 .005 1985 171,873 5 .003 1986 172,286 2 .001 1987 174,276 3 .002 19881 137,103 4 .003 Total2 2,949,578 130 .004 1 1988 data are provisional. 2 Total from 27 April 1968 to 30 September 1988. 3 In emergency, to save the life of the pregnant women.
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many abortions have been performed on girls under the age of 16 years; and what percentage this represents of abortions performed, in each year since 1968;
(2) how many abortions were performed on girls in the Basildon area health authority, under the age of 16 years; and what percentage this represents of abortions performed, in each year since 1968.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information is shown in the table.
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Number of abortions performed in England and Wales, and to usual residents of Basildon and Thurrock2 , all ages and to those under 16 years, 27 April 1968 to 31 December 1987. Year England and Wales Basildon and Thurrock2 Total under 16 Per cent. Total under 16 Percent. A B B of A A B B of A 1968 23,641 553 2.3 151 4 2.6 1969 54,819 1,231 2.2 287 9 3.1 1970 86,565 1,822 2.1 427 10 2.3 1971 126,777 2,618 2.1 435 6 1.4 1972 159,884 3,320 2.1 592 16 2.7 1973 167,149 3,660 2.2 541 10 1.8 1974 162,940 3,948 2.4 620 23 3.7 1975 139,702 4,006 2.9 628 24 3.8 1976 129,673 3,835 3.0 635 21 3.3 1977 133,004 4,067 3.1 626 29 4.6 1978 141,558 3,724 2.6 624 21 3.4 1979 149,746 3,856 2.6 614 22 3.6 1980 160,903 4,143 2.6 549 17 3.1 1981 162,480 3,949 2.4 586 20 3.4 1982 163,045 4,343 2.7 687 22 3.2 1983 162,161 4,566 2.8 602 26 4.3 1984 169,993 4,609 2.7 779 21 2.7 1985 171,873 4,427 2.6 840 25 3.0 1986 172,286 4,240 2.5 958 30 3.1 1987 174,276 4,075 2.3 998 27 2.7 TOTAL1 2,812,475 70,992 2.5 12,179 383 3.1
1 Total from 27 April 1968 to 31 December 1987. 2 1968–1974: Basildon and Thurrock non-metropolitan counties. 1975–1982: Basildon and Thurrock Health District.
1983–1987: Basildon and Thurrock District Health Authority.
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years of age in each year since 1968; and how many were performed to save the life of a pregnant woman.
Number of abortions performed in England and Wales to usual residents of England and Wales by single year of age, 10 to 17 years, 1968 to 1987 Year Age of mother 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1968 n/a 3 6 21 150 363 559 693 1969 n/a 2 7 38 279 848 1,445 1,816 1970 n/a 3 20 85 391 1,233 2,530 3,188 1971 n/a 3 16 77 529 1,671 3,465 4,426 1972 n/a 0 7 98 586 2,113 4,318 5,395 1973 1 4 14 108 693 2,270 5,082 5,775 1974 0 1 9 117 718 2,490 5,348 6,225 1975 0 0 12 120 747 2,691 5,411 6,394 1976 0 6 14 122 738 2,545 5,429 6,285 1977 0 1 13 105 805 2,701 5,510 6,367 1978 0 3 20 113 708 2,454 5,675 6,733 1979 0 9 18 116 698 2,693 6,030 7,412 1980 0 5 17 141 770 2,717 6,370 8,108 1981 8301 2,701 n/a n/a 1982 9311 2,921 n/a n/a 1983 1,0291 3,058 n/a n/a 1984 0 1 9 111 898 3,139 6,802 8,406 1985 0 0 7 118 899 2,978 6,648 8,432 1986 0 0 5 77 842 2,970 6,175 8,309 1987 1 1 10 114 781 2,858 6,251 8,252 n/a + Data not readily available. 1 These data relate to "under 15 years of age".
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the medical circumstances which created the need for abortions to be performed in emergency to save the life of the mother in those cases which have arisen since 1967; and if he will indicate the number of times each of those conditions has been a relevant factor.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.