Abortion (Hansard, 6 July 1992)

§ Mr. David Atkinson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed in the Wessex regional health authority under the Abortion Act 1967 since its implementation; and how many, and what percentage of these abortions, were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother.

§ Mr. Sackville
Wessex regional health authority (RHA) was constituted on 1 April 1974 and data on this basis are calculated from 1 January 1975 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available). During this period a total of 85.538 abortions have been performed under the Abortion Act 1967 in the Wessex RHA. Of these, 6 (.007 per cent.) were performed in an emergency "to save the life of the pregnant woman" (ground 5).

§ Mr. Booth
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed in the North West Thames regional health authority under the Abortions Act 1967 since its implementation; and how many and what percentage of those abortions were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother.

§ Mr. Sackville
North West Thames regional health authority (RHA) was constituted on 1 April 1974 and data on this basis are calculated from I January 1975 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available). During this period a total of 318,817 abortions have been performed under the Abortion Act 1967 in the North West Thames RHA. Of these 5 (0.002 per cent.) were performed in an emergency "to save the life of the pregnant woman" (ground 5).

§ Dame Jill Knight
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed in the West Midlands regional health authority under the Abortion Act since 1967; and how many and what percentage of these were performed to save the life of the mother.

§ Mr. Sackville
West Midlands regional health authority (RHA) was constituted on 1 April 1974 and data on this basis are calculated from 1 January 1975 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available). During this period a total of 354,547 abortions have been performed under the Abortion Act 1967 in the West Midlands RHA. Of these 5 (0.002 per cent.) were performed in an emergency "to save the life of the pregnant woman" (ground 5).
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§ Mr. Elletson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed in the Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde regional health authority under the Abortion Act 1967 since its implementation; and how many and what percentage of these abortions were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother.

§ Mr. Sackville
Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde district health authority (DHA) was constituted on 1 April 1982 and data on this basis are calculated from 1 January 1983 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available). The number of abortions performed in each DHA are not released as a consequence of confidentiality. There were however, during this period and under the Abortion Act 1967, a total of 7,997 abortions performed on residents of Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde DHA. One (0.01 per cent.) of these abortions was performed in an emergency "to save the life of the pregnant woman" (ground 5).

§ Mr. Simon Coombs
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions performed in the Wessex regional health authority under the Abortion Act 1967 in each year since its implementation; and how many and what percentage of these abortions were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother.

§ Mr. Sackville
The information requested is shown in the table.

(1) Total number of abortions; (2) number and percentage of these abortions performed in an emergency 'to save the life of the pregnant woman' (ground 5), 1 January 1975 to 30 September 1991, Wessex Regional Health Authority¹ Wessex Regional Health Authority

Total Ground 5 Ground 5 as a percentage of the total

1975 2,331 1 0.04 per cent.

1976 2,288

1977 2,624

1978 2,961 0.03 per cent.

1979 2,955

1980 3,267

1981 3,311

1982 4,513 1 0.02 per cent.

1983 4,886

1984 5,525 1 0.02 per cent.

1985 6,009

1986 6,292

1987 6,476

1988 7,693

1989 8,670

1990 9,075

1991 6,662

¹ Wessex Regional Health Authority was constituted on 1 April 1974 and data on this basis are available from 1 January 1975 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available).

(1) Total number of abortions; (2) number and percentage of these abortions performed in an emergency 'to save the life of the pregnant woman' (ground 5), 1 January 1975 to 30 September 1991, Wessex Regional Health Authority¹ Wessex Regional Health Authority
	Total	Ground 5	Ground 5 as a percentage of the total
1975	2,331	1	0.04 per cent.
1976	2,288
1977	2,624
1978	2,961		0.03 per cent.
1979	2,955
1980	3,267
1981	3,311
1982	4,513	1	0.02 per cent.
1983	4,886
1984	5,525	1	0.02 per cent.
1985	6,009
1986	6,292
1987	6,476
1988	7,693
1989	8,670
1990	9,075
1991	6,662
¹ Wessex Regional Health Authority was constituted on 1 April 1974 and data on this basis are available from 1 January 1975 to 30 September 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available).