§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many late abortions were performed in the latest year for which figures are available in pregnancies of 24 weeks or more; if he will indicate the numbers and percentages of those abortions which were performed on each of the legal grounds; and what numbers and percentages of those abortions were performed by each of the six doctors who performed the largest number of such abortions. [34259]
§ Mrs. Angela Knight[holding answer 25 June 1996]: In 1993, 74 abortions were performed in England and Wales beyond 24 weeks of gestation (residents and non-residents).
237WThe breakdown by statutory ground is:
Number Percentage of total abortions beyond 24weeks E (alone)1 73 99 F or G2 1 1 Total 74 100 Statistical information is not produced about individual doctors. 1to save the life of the pregnant woman, or to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman. 2that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.
§ Mrs. WintertonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many abortions have now been performed in total under the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967; and how many and what percentage of those abortions were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother. [34261]
§ Mrs. Knight[holding answer 25 June 1996]: The total number of legal abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 in England and Wales from 1968 to the end of September 1995 was 4,177,665. During this period 140 abortions—0.003 per cent. were performed in an emergency, certified as immediately necessary, to save the life of the women.