HC Deb 22 July 2004 vol 424 cc624-5W
Mrs. Iris Robinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many(a) births and (b) terminations there were of babies with Down's Syndrome in each of the last five years; [181536]

(2) how many (a) births and (b) terminations there were of babies with (i) spina bifida, (ii) heart defects and (iii) kidney problems recognised during pregnancy in each of the last five years; [181538]

(3) if he will estimate the percentage of terminations conducted in each of the past 10 years on account of potential handicap of the baby; [181539]

(4) if he will estimate the number of terminations conducted on account of (a) foot deformities, (b) cleft lips and (c) cleft palates in each of the past five years. [181541]

Miss Melanie Johnson

This information is published annually in the Office for National Statistics publication, "Congenital Anomaly Statistics Notifications", series MB3; copies of which are available in the Library.

In each of the past 10 years, one per cent. of the total number of abortions performed on residents of England and Wales were performed under section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act 1967 (that 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).

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