Abortion (Hansard, 13 May 2002)

Baroness Young
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each health authority (a) the numbers of abortions and (b) the numbers of conceptions per 1,000 under the age of 16 years for each of the past three years for which figures are available. [HL4103]

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter to Baroness Young from the National Statistician and Registrar General, dated May 2002.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what (a) the numbers of abortions and (b) the numbers of conceptions per 1,000 under the age of 16 years were for each of the last three years for which figures are available, by health authority. [HL4103]
The most recent available figures are for 1998–2000 and are shown in the attached table.
15WA

Under-age conceptions and abortions—rates per 1,000 women aged 13–15 by health authority of usual residence 1998–2000

Conceptions Abortion

1998 1999 2000 1998–2000 1998 1999 2000 1998–2000

Brent and Harrow 6.7 7.0 8.5 7.4 3.3 3.1 4.7 3.7

Camden and Islington 7.9 10.1 9.4 9.1 4.5 4.9 4.4 4.6

Croydon 13.0 11.3 13.0 12.4 6.8 5.6 6.5 5.3

Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 8.1 9.5 9.2 8.9 3.0 4.3 4.9 4.1

East London and The City 13.6 10.1 14.2 12.6 5.7 4.9 6.9 5.8

Hillingdon 11.3 6.5 7.4 8.4 5.8 3.6 3.2 4.2

Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 5.8 8.1 8.4 7.4 3.2 3.6 4.7 3.8

Kingston and Richmond 5.8 4.1 3.6 4.5 3.8 1.7 1.9 2.5

Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 16.4 15.1 16.0 15.8 7.8 7.7 7.6 7.7

Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 11.1 8.4 10.9 10.1 5.8 4.4 6.3 5.5

Redbridge and Waltham Forest 7.1 6.3 8.2 7.2 3.8 3.4 5.5 4.3

South East 6.9 6.8 6.9 6.9 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.3

Berkshire 8.5 7.4 7.7 7.8 3.5 4.4 3.8 3.9

Buckinghamshire 6.3 5.9 5.5 5.9 3.2 2.7 3.0 3.0

East Kent 8.8 8.0 8.5 8.5 3.2 3.2 3.6 3.3

East Surrey 4.8 4.1 4.8 4.6 2.7 2.0 3.0 2.6

East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 7.8 7.7 7.6 7.7 3.6 2.8 4.1 3.5

Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 8.3 7.7 7.8 7.9 3.7 3.6 4.1 3.8

North and Mid Hampshire 5.4 4.5 4.4 4.7 2.0 2.0 2.4 2.1

Northamptonshire 8.9 7.9 10.4 9.1 3.8 4.3 4.4 4.2

Oxfordshire 4.6 6.5 6.6 6.0 3.1 2.7 3.4 3.1

Southampton and South West Hampshire 6.8 7.1 7.1 7.0 3.7 3.3 2.6 3.2

West Kent 6.7 8.5 7.3 7.5 3.1 3.4 3.5 3.3

West Surrey 4.3 5.3 4.2 4.6 1.8 3.2 2.1 2.4

West Sussex 7.5 5.0 6.5 6.3 4.1 3.0 3.0 3.4

South West 7.6 7.5 7.1 7.4 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.5

Avon 7.7 8.7 8.0 8.1 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.8

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 7.7 6.3 7.4 7.1 3.2 3.5 3.1 3.3

Dorset 7.3 6.8 6.1 6.7 3.7 3.1 3.5 3.4

Gloucestershire 8.7 6.6 8.4 7.9 3.9 3.5 3.5 3.6

North and East Devon 6.8 6.9 6.0 6.5 2.9 2.3 3.1 2.8

Somerset 8.0 7.8 7.1 7.6 4.0 3.9 3.4 3.8

South and West Devon 7.3 8.4 7.7 7.8 3.4 4.6 3.0 3.6

Wiltshire 7.4 7.4 6.0 6.9 3.9 3.3 3.2 3.5

West Midlands 10.4 8.8 9.7 9.6 4.6 3.9 4.4 4.3

Birmingham 11.9 9.3 10.2 10.5 4.5 3.6 4.4 4.2

Coventry 10.4 9.4 11.8 10.6 4.5 4.4 5.2 4.7

Dudley 11.5 8.7 10.7 10.3 4.7 4.6 5.5 4.9

Herefordshire 6.7 5.6 9.8 7.4 3.5 2.8 4.8 3.7

North Staffordshire 12.0 9.1 8.9 10.0 5.3 3.0 3.1 3.8

Sandwell 12.7 14.4 12.2 13.1 5.1 5.4 6.2 5.6

Shropshire 8.5 6.8 9.2 8.2 4.6 3.0 4.7 4.1

Solihull 8.5 5.9 5.5 6.6 5.8 1.8 2.7 3.4

South Staffordshire 7.4 8.0 9.0 8.1 3.6 4.5 4.3 4.1

Walsall 17.9 13.9 11.1 14.3 4.9 4.4 4.3 4.5

Warwickshire 7.4 7.4 8.4 7.7 4.3 4.2 4.5 4.3

Wolverhampton 14.4 12.3 12.9 13.2 5.6 6.4 5.4 5.8

Worcestershire 7.1 5.7 7.5 6.8 4.5 3.3 3.8 3.8

North West 8.9 8.8 8.6 8.8 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.7

Bury and Rochdale 10.3 10.3 9.3 9.9 4.1 4.2 3.7 4.0

East Lancashire 10.8 11.2 10.8 11.0 5.4 5.5 4.3 5.1

Liverpool 8.4 8.9 8.7 8.7 3.1 3.6 2.7 3.1

Manchester 10.8 9.5 8.8 9.7 2.9 3.1 3.6 3.2

Morecambe Bay 8.1 7.5 8.1 7.9 4.4 2.9 2.9 3.4

North Cheshire 9.0 10.2 8.0 9.1 4.6 5.3 4.0 4.6

North West Lancashire 9.4 9.4 10.6 9.8 4.3 4.2 5.0 4.5

Salford and Trafford 8.3 8.6 8.3 8.4 3.2 3.2 3.8 3.4

Sefton 7.2 5.7 5.7 6.2 2.9 1.6 2.0 2.2

South Cheshire 6.2 6.4 6.3 6.3 2.4 3.0 3.2 2.9

South Lancashire 8.2 4.5 7.4 6.7 3.1 2.6 2.2 2.6

St Helens and Knowsley 9.5 9.9 9.7 9.7 3.0 3.3 3.7 3.3

Stockport 4.2 7.3 5.9 5.8 3.2 3.7 2.1 3.0

West Pennine 11.0 9.0 9.3 9.7 4.7 3.3 3.9 4.0

Wigan and Bolton 9.6 12.7 9.3 10.5 4.7 4.7 4.6 4.7

Wirral 8.9 7.2 8.8 8.3 3.8 4.0 4.3 4.0

Wales 10.7 9.5 8.5 9.6 4.2 3.8 3.4 3.8

Bro Taf 11.5 10.1 8.5 10.0 4.4 3.8 3.8 4.0

Dyfed Powys 8.7 6.1 7.1 7.3 3.6 3.4 3.1 3.3

Gwent 11.4 10.6 10.2 10.7 4.6 4.2 3.4 4.0

Morgannwg 13.7 10.1 9.3 11.0 5.2 4.5 4.3 4.7

North Wales 8.3 9.8 7.6 8.6 3.5 3.2 2.6 3.1

Source:
Office for National Statistics.
16WA 17WA

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the number of women refused an abortion because their particular circumstances do not tit the criteria in the Abortion Act 1967. [HL4042]

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)
The information requested is not collected centrally.
A pregnancy may be terminated only if two registered medical practitioners are of the opinion, formed in good faith that an abortion is justified within the terms of the Abortion Act, in the light of their clinical judgment of all the particular circumstances of the individual case.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the number of women who are expecting a disabled child and who have refused an abortion. [HL4043]

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The information requested is not collected centrally.
If an abnormality is diagnosed, a termination may be raised as one of the options available if two medical practitioners are of the opinion that there are grounds for a termination under the Abortion Act 1967.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is their policy to promote the equal status and rights of people with disabilities including the right to life; and [HL4044]
Whether an abortion is usually offered to a woman who is carrying a disabled child; and, if so, whether this is consistent with a policy of equal rights for disabled people; and [HL4045]
What advice is given to women expecting a disabled baby. [HL4046]

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
It is the Government's policy to promote the equal rights of disabled people. Equality, fair treatment and social inclusion lie at the heart of the Government's plans to modernise public services.The NHS Plan recognises that we live in a diverse society and sets out as core principles that the NHS will shape its services around the needs of the patient; be responsive to the needs of different groups and individuals within society; and challenge discrimination on the grounds of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexuality.
Shifting the Balance of Power within the NHS entails supporting front-line staff to better respond to the needs of all sections of the community and delivering more responsive high quality services to all.
The Human Rights Act 1998 brings the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic legislation. Article 2 of that convention protects the right to life and makes no distinction between people who do or do not have disabilities. The Government consider that the 1967 Abortion Act, as amended, to 18WA be in compliance with Article 2 and the Human Rights Act. Under English law a foetus is not recognised as being a separate person from its mother, and does not have legal rights.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' guideline Termination of Pregnancy for fetal abnormality (1996) indicates the importance of offering parents information about all of the options available to them. This should include the implications of continuing the pregnancy as well as the implications of termination. The guideline states that if an abnormality has been detected and two medical practitioners are of the opinion that there are grounds for a termination under the Abortion Act, the woman should be advised that she has this option. The guideline also states that the woman needs to be given enough information and time to help her understand the nature of the foetal abnormality and the probable outcome of the pregnancy in order that she can make an informed decision as to whether or not to proceed with the pregnancy.

§ Lord McColl of Dulwich
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the number of selective reduction abortions in each of the last five years for 'which figures are available. [HL4104]

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The information requested is in the table.

Legal abortions – selective termination, England & Wales, 1996–2000

Number of cases

1996 59

1997 53

1998 65

1999 45

2000 37

Source: Department of Health, Statistics Division 2B
Footnote: The data refer to residents only

§ Lord McColl of Dulwich
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they require doctors performing selective reduction of pregnancies to require a certificate stating the grounds for termination of unborn babies under the Abortion Act 1967. [HL4105]

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Section 37 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 amended the Abortion Act 1967 to make it clear that selective termination of pregnancy (termination of one or more, but not all, foetuses in a multiple pregnancy) may be performed if the requirements of the 1967 Act are fulfilled, but not otherwise. Notification of such abortions to the Chief Medical Officer has been required since 1 April 1991.
19WA
Two registered medical practitioners have to complete a certificate of opinion stating which grounds of the Act are fulfilled before the termination can take place.

§ Lord McColl of Dulwich
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the total number of abortions performed since 1968; how many were to save the life of the mother; and what percentage this represents of the total. [HL4106]

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The number of abortions performed in England and Wales on residents of England and Wales in the years 1968 to 2000 was 4.38 million. Of these 39,400, representing 0.9 per cent of the total, were performed under sections 1(1)(c) and 1(4) of the Abortion Act 1967. These are cases where the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated or where the termination is immediately necessary to save the life or to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant women.

Under-age conceptions and abortions—rates per 1,000 women aged 13–15 by health authority of usual residence 1998–2000
	Conceptions	Abortion
	1998	1999	2000	1998–2000	1998	1999	2000	1998–2000
Brent and Harrow	6.7	7.0	8.5	7.4	3.3	3.1	4.7	3.7
Camden and Islington	7.9	10.1	9.4	9.1	4.5	4.9	4.4	4.6
Croydon	13.0	11.3	13.0	12.4	6.8	5.6	6.5	5.3
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow	8.1	9.5	9.2	8.9	3.0	4.3	4.9	4.1
East London and The City	13.6	10.1	14.2	12.6	5.7	4.9	6.9	5.8
Hillingdon	11.3	6.5	7.4	8.4	5.8	3.6	3.2	4.2
Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster	5.8	8.1	8.4	7.4	3.2	3.6	4.7	3.8
Kingston and Richmond	5.8	4.1	3.6	4.5	3.8	1.7	1.9	2.5
Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham	16.4	15.1	16.0	15.8	7.8	7.7	7.6	7.7
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth	11.1	8.4	10.9	10.1	5.8	4.4	6.3	5.5
Redbridge and Waltham Forest	7.1	6.3	8.2	7.2	3.8	3.4	5.5	4.3
South East	6.9	6.8	6.9	6.9	3.2	3.2	3.4	3.3
Berkshire	8.5	7.4	7.7	7.8	3.5	4.4	3.8	3.9
Buckinghamshire	6.3	5.9	5.5	5.9	3.2	2.7	3.0	3.0
East Kent	8.8	8.0	8.5	8.5	3.2	3.2	3.6	3.3
East Surrey	4.8	4.1	4.8	4.6	2.7	2.0	3.0	2.6
East Sussex, Brighton and Hove	7.8	7.7	7.6	7.7	3.6	2.8	4.1	3.5
Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire	8.3	7.7	7.8	7.9	3.7	3.6	4.1	3.8
North and Mid Hampshire	5.4	4.5	4.4	4.7	2.0	2.0	2.4	2.1
Northamptonshire	8.9	7.9	10.4	9.1	3.8	4.3	4.4	4.2
Oxfordshire	4.6	6.5	6.6	6.0	3.1	2.7	3.4	3.1
Southampton and South West Hampshire	6.8	7.1	7.1	7.0	3.7	3.3	2.6	3.2
West Kent	6.7	8.5	7.3	7.5	3.1	3.4	3.5	3.3
West Surrey	4.3	5.3	4.2	4.6	1.8	3.2	2.1	2.4
West Sussex	7.5	5.0	6.5	6.3	4.1	3.0	3.0	3.4
South West	7.6	7.5	7.1	7.4	3.6	3.5	3.4	3.5
Avon	7.7	8.7	8.0	8.1	3.8	3.7	3.8	3.8
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly	7.7	6.3	7.4	7.1	3.2	3.5	3.1	3.3
Dorset	7.3	6.8	6.1	6.7	3.7	3.1	3.5	3.4
Gloucestershire	8.7	6.6	8.4	7.9	3.9	3.5	3.5	3.6
North and East Devon	6.8	6.9	6.0	6.5	2.9	2.3	3.1	2.8
Somerset	8.0	7.8	7.1	7.6	4.0	3.9	3.4	3.8
South and West Devon	7.3	8.4	7.7	7.8	3.4	4.6	3.0	3.6
Wiltshire	7.4	7.4	6.0	6.9	3.9	3.3	3.2	3.5
West Midlands	10.4	8.8	9.7	9.6	4.6	3.9	4.4	4.3
Birmingham	11.9	9.3	10.2	10.5	4.5	3.6	4.4	4.2
Coventry	10.4	9.4	11.8	10.6	4.5	4.4	5.2	4.7
Dudley	11.5	8.7	10.7	10.3	4.7	4.6	5.5	4.9
Herefordshire	6.7	5.6	9.8	7.4	3.5	2.8	4.8	3.7
North Staffordshire	12.0	9.1	8.9	10.0	5.3	3.0	3.1	3.8
Sandwell	12.7	14.4	12.2	13.1	5.1	5.4	6.2	5.6
Shropshire	8.5	6.8	9.2	8.2	4.6	3.0	4.7	4.1
Solihull	8.5	5.9	5.5	6.6	5.8	1.8	2.7	3.4
South Staffordshire	7.4	8.0	9.0	8.1	3.6	4.5	4.3	4.1
Walsall	17.9	13.9	11.1	14.3	4.9	4.4	4.3	4.5
Warwickshire	7.4	7.4	8.4	7.7	4.3	4.2	4.5	4.3
Wolverhampton	14.4	12.3	12.9	13.2	5.6	6.4	5.4	5.8
Worcestershire	7.1	5.7	7.5	6.8	4.5	3.3	3.8	3.8
North West	8.9	8.8	8.6	8.8	3.7	3.7	3.6	3.7
Bury and Rochdale	10.3	10.3	9.3	9.9	4.1	4.2	3.7	4.0
East Lancashire	10.8	11.2	10.8	11.0	5.4	5.5	4.3	5.1
Liverpool	8.4	8.9	8.7	8.7	3.1	3.6	2.7	3.1
Manchester	10.8	9.5	8.8	9.7	2.9	3.1	3.6	3.2
Morecambe Bay	8.1	7.5	8.1	7.9	4.4	2.9	2.9	3.4
North Cheshire	9.0	10.2	8.0	9.1	4.6	5.3	4.0	4.6
North West Lancashire	9.4	9.4	10.6	9.8	4.3	4.2	5.0	4.5
Salford and Trafford	8.3	8.6	8.3	8.4	3.2	3.2	3.8	3.4
Sefton	7.2	5.7	5.7	6.2	2.9	1.6	2.0	2.2
South Cheshire	6.2	6.4	6.3	6.3	2.4	3.0	3.2	2.9
South Lancashire	8.2	4.5	7.4	6.7	3.1	2.6	2.2	2.6
St Helens and Knowsley	9.5	9.9	9.7	9.7	3.0	3.3	3.7	3.3
Stockport	4.2	7.3	5.9	5.8	3.2	3.7	2.1	3.0
West Pennine	11.0	9.0	9.3	9.7	4.7	3.3	3.9	4.0
Wigan and Bolton	9.6	12.7	9.3	10.5	4.7	4.7	4.6	4.7
Wirral	8.9	7.2	8.8	8.3	3.8	4.0	4.3	4.0
Wales	10.7	9.5	8.5	9.6	4.2	3.8	3.4	3.8
Bro Taf	11.5	10.1	8.5	10.0	4.4	3.8	3.8	4.0
Dyfed Powys	8.7	6.1	7.1	7.3	3.6	3.4	3.1	3.3
Gwent	11.4	10.6	10.2	10.7	4.6	4.2	3.4	4.0
Morgannwg	13.7	10.1	9.3	11.0	5.2	4.5	4.3	4.7
North Wales	8.3	9.8	7.6	8.6	3.5	3.2	2.6	3.1

Legal abortions – selective termination, England & Wales, 1996–2000
	Number of cases
1996	59
1997	53
1998	65
1999	45
2000	37