§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has about administrative arrangements in London district health authorities for getting women who want abortions into the queue.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThis information is not collected centrally.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has received any representations about the availability of abortion services in London.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyYes. Arrangements for the provision of abortion services within the national health service are the responsibility of individual health authorities. Queries of a local nature should be taken up with the chairman or general manager of the health authority concerned.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list(a) for each of the last four years and (b) for each London district health authority the average waiting time for abortions.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe available information is for the year 1987–88 and relates to waiting time for admissions for the category "legally induced abortion". For each of the four Thames regional health authorities the average, as expressed by the median waiting time, was one week. Reliable information is not available on a district basis.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list(a) for each of the last four years and (b) for each London district health authority the number of abortions carried out.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe number of abortions performed on residents of the London district health authorities can be found as part of table 24a of OPCS annual review volumes "Abortion Statistics". These are published in series AB and copies are in the Library. The latest year for which data are available is 1989.
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§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has issued guidelines about procedures for referrals for abortions.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyI refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave her on 28 January at column429.