HC Deb 14 May 1993 vol 224 cc587-8W
Mrs. Gorman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the reasons for excluding terminations of pregnancy from the list of goods and services which general practitioner fund holders may purchase elsewhere when they are not available locally; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Mawhinney

The list of goods and services is currently limited to procedures which all fund holders are required to purchase on behalf of their patients where clinically indicated. Some general practitioners for ethical reasons are unable to refer patients for termination of pregnancy and such GPs could not be required to purchase these services.

Numbers of deaths of children under 18 years of age in England and Wales by age and sex registered in the years 1979 to 1991
Year and sex Total deaths Age in years
Under 1 1 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 17
1979
Male 7,420 4,731 641 602 605 841
Female 5,059 3,447 527 368 386 331
1980
Male 7,051 4,471 668 517 546 849
Female 5,038 3,428 518 349 373 370
1981
Male 6,640 4,119 651 447 573 850
Female 4,461 2,902 529 302 368 360
1982
Male 6,317 3,914 652 391 546 814
Female 4,288 2,861 485 253 353 336
1983
Male 5,933 3,654 604 391 514 770
Female 4,160 2,727 489 269 332 343
1984
Male 5,624 3,443 610 348 501 722
Female 3,956 2,594 454 260 302 346
1985
Male 5,651 3,510 638 328 503 672
Female 4,008 2,631 497 260 308 312
1986
Male 5,682 3,724 573 325 380 680
Female 3,890 2,589 491 248 272 290
1987
Male 5,580 3,637 578 309 404 652
Female 3,878 2,635 489 237 246 271
1988
Male 5,639 3,649 587 374 402 627
Female 3,866 2,621 498 232 218 297
1989
Male 5,318 3,368 606 371 337 636
Female 3,641 2,440 472 241 226 262
1990
Male 5,105 3,207 593 333 338 634
Female 3,499 2,357 434 220 230 258
1991
Male 4,771 2,966 554 341 354 556
Female 3,350 2,192 439 248 222 249