§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many oral contraceptive pills were dispensed to teenage girls in each of the last five years, broken down by(a) age and (b) region. [42328]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 11 March 2002]: The information requested is not collected by the Department. Data on general practitioners prescriptions are not broken down by age.
Information about the number of first contacts with girls age under 16, and between 16 and 19 years of age at family planning clinics, where the primary method of birth control was the oral contraceptive, is given below. The figures for England are published in "NHS Contraceptive Services, England: 2000–01", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Because regional health authority boundaries changed in April 1998, the information is presented in two tables, one for the pre-1998 boundaries and one for the boundaries introduced in 1998.
First contacts with teenage girls at family planning clinics where the primary method of birth control was the oral contraceptive.
(a) 1996–97 and 1997–98: Health regions in existence before April 1998 Age under 16 Age 16–19 England 22,968 110,115 Regions 1996–97 Northern and Yorkshire 3,979 14,372 Trent 2,464 9,070 Anglia and Oxford 1,787 9,968 North Thames 2,528 15,826 South Thames 3,081 16,265 South and West 2,912 14,876 West Midlands 2,706 13,169 North West 3,511 16,569 1997–98 England 22,675 115,879 Regions 1996–97 Northern and Yorkshire 3,788 16,861 Trent 2,421 9,086 Anglia and Oxford 1,712 9,776 North Thames 2,431 17,087 South Thames 3,506 17,037 South and West 2,864 15,186 West Midlands 2,475 13,217 North West 3,478 17,647 Source:
Department of Health Statistics Division SD2B, form KT31
577W
(b) 1998–99 to 2000–01: New health regions from 1998 Age under 16 Age 16–19 1998–99 England 21,830 114,959 New regions from 1998–99 Northern and Yorkshire 3,922 15,719 Trent 2,309 9,283 Eastern 1,491 10,691 London 3,232 19,416 South East 3,412 17,748 South West 2,094 10,440 West Midlands 2,297 13,678 North West 3,073 17,984
(b) 1998–99 to 2000–01: New health regions from 1998 Age under 16 Age 16–19 1999–2000 England 22,736 118,752 New regions from 1998–99 Northern and Yorkshire 3,939 16,201 Trent 2,479 2,524 Eastern 1,733 10,806 London 3,251 20,698 South East 3,811 19,394 South West 1,560 9,215 West Midlands 2,726 14,248 North West 3,237 18,666 2000–01 England 23,911 116,682 New regions from 1998–99 Northern and Yorkshire 3,930 16,342 Trent 2,522 9,676 Eastern 1,814 10,406 London 3,494 19,707 South East 4,072 18,798 South West 1,614 8,174 West Midlands 2,773 14,194 North West 3,692 19,385 Source:
Department of Health Statistics Division SD2B, form KT31