§ 78. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many days' work were lost by insured women, which were certified for National Insurance purposes as being due to abortion, in each year since 1958: and how many women were involved.
§ Miss HerbisonI regret that the precise information requested is not available but the table given below shows the number of spells of incapacity terminating in each period which were so certified as due to "abortion" (which is a term used to cover all types of miscarriage) or equivalent cause, and the corresponding total number of days of incapacity where this is available.
23WFollowing are the figures:
Thousands Period Incapacity certified as "abortion" or equivalent cause Spells terminating in period Total days of incapacity in period 3rd June, 1957 to 31st May, 1958 7 220 2nd June, 1958 to 30th May, 1959 8 249 1st June, 1959 to 4th June, 1960 9 286 6th June, 1960 to 3rd, June, 1961 10 354 5th June, 1961 to 2nd June, 1962 11 Not available 4th June, 1962 to 1st June, 1963 11 330