HC Deb 16 June 1969 vol 785 cc9-13W
Mr. St. John-Stevas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions have been carried out in England and Wales since the Abortion Act came into operation in April, 1968; how many of these were carried out under the National Health Service and under private auspices, respectively; what proportion of the total abortions carried out they represent; and how many were carried out at approved places, other places, and National Health Service hospitals, respectively.

Mr. Crossman

Up to 27th May, 1969, 41,496 abortions were notified of which 16,650 (40.1 per cent.) were in approved places, 101 (0.2 per cent.) in other places and 24,745 (59.6 per cent.) in National Health Service hospitals.

Separate figures for National Health Service and private patients are not available.

Mr. St. John-Stevas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions have been carried out as emergencies since the Abortion Act came into operation.

Mr. Crossman

Up to 27th May, 1969, 66 notifications in England and Wales.

Mr. St. John-Stevas asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions have been carried out where the operating practitioner did not join in granting the certificate; and what percentage of the total abortions carried out does this represent.

Mr. Crossman

For 1968, 10,727 (45.4 per cent.) (England and Wales).

Mr. St. John-Stevas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions have been carried out since the Abortion Act came into operation, on the grounds of risk to the life of the pregnant woman, and of risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman, respectively; and what percentage of the total abortions carried out they represent.

Mr. Crossman

Notifications in England and Wales up to 27th May 1969 were 1,827 (4.4 per cent.) and 29,954 (72.2 per cent.) respectively, excluding emergencies.

In addition, there were 690 (1.7 per cent.) on combined grounds of risk to health of the woman and risk of abnormality in the child.

Mr. St. John-Stevas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many places have now been approved for the purposes of carrying out abortions under Section 3 of the Act; what are the names of those who have applied for approval and the addresses of the approved places; and how many licences have been withdrawn or suspended.

Mr. Crossman

Re-approval has been given to 54 of 55 applicants as follows:

Places approved for the purposes of Section 1(3) of the Abortion Act, 1967 for treatment for the termination of pregnancy.

Premises

  1. 1. Florence Nightingale Hospital, 19, Lisson Grove, London, N.W.1.
  2. 2. Fitzroy Nuffield Nursing Home, 10/12, Bryanston Square, W.1.
  3. 3. The Harley Street Nursing Home, 35, Weymouth Street, W.1.
  4. 4. Langham Street Clinic, 31/33/35, Langham Street, W.1.
  5. 5. The London Clinic, 20, Devonshire Place, W.1.
  6. 6. Twenty Seven Welbeck Street Ltd., 27, Welbeck Street, W.1.
  7. 7. Avenue Clinic, 12, Avenue Road, St. John's Wood, N.W.8.
  8. 8. West Hampstead Clinic, 9, Hilltop Road, N.W.6.
  9. 9. Heywood Nursing Home, London Road, Stanmore, Middlesex.
  10. 10. St. Mary's Nursing Home, 46, Sunny Gardens Road, N.W.4.
  11. 11. Old Court Clinic, 19, Montpelier Road, Ealing, W.5.
  12. 12. Lady Margaret Nursing Home, 87, Mattock Lane, Ealing, W.5.
  13. 13. H.R.H. Princess Christian's Nursing Home, 12, Clarence Road, Windsor.
  14. 14. Slough Nuffield Nursing Home, Wexham Street, Slough.
  15. 15. Garth Nursing Home, Horsham Road, Dorking.
    16. 11
  16. 16. Woking Nuffield Nursing Home, Shores Road, Woking.
  17. 17. Seabrook Nursing Home, 44–46, Shelley Road, Worthing.
  18. 18. Hopedene Nursing Home, Wordsworth Road, Worthing.
  19. 19. New Victoria Hospital, 184, Coombe Lane West, Kingston-upon-Thames.
  20. 20. Royal Masonic Hospital, Ravenscourt Park, W.6.
  21. 21. The Whitehaven Nursing Home, 34, Wilbury Road, Hove, Sussex.
  22. 22. Victoria House, Victoria Street, Rochester.
  23. 23. Hythe Nursing Home, 91, North Road, Hythe.
  24. 24. Folkestone Private Clinic, 19, Grimston Gardens, Folkestone.
  25. 25. The Nursing Home, 415, New Cross Road, S.E.14.
  26. 26. Colchester Nursing Home, 19, Lexden Road, Colchester.
  27. 27. Strathallan Nursing Home, Owls Road, Boscombe, Hants.
  28. 28. Ophir Lodge Nursing Home, 25, Ophir Road, Bournemouth, Hants.
  29. 29. Harnham Croft Nursing Home, 76, Harnham Road, Salisbury.
  30. 30. The Acland Home, Banbury Road, Oxford.
  31. 31. Lansdown Nursing Home, Lansdown Grove, Bath, Somerset.
  32. 32. Dolygaer Nursing Home, 14, New Church Road, Hove 3.
  33. 33. Tunbridge Wells Nuffield Nursing Home, Kingswood Road, Tunbridge Wells.
  34. 34. Chesterfield Nursing Home, Clifton Hill, Bristol 8.
  35. 35. Exeter Nuffield Nursing Home, Wonford Road, Exeter.
  36. 36. The Torbay Clinic, St. Luke's Road South, Torquay.
  37. 37. The Imperial Nursing Home, Montpellier Parade, Cheltenham.
  38. 38. Evelyn Nursing Home, Trumpington Road, Cambridge.
  39. 39. Ipswich Surgical Home, 57, Fonnereau Road, Ipswich, Suffolk.
  40. 40. St. Helen's House Nursing Home, (Norwich) Limited, Bishop Gate, Norwich Nor 23P.
  41. 41. Eversleigh Nursing Home, Clarendon Place, Leamington Spa.
  42. 42. River Park Nursing Home Ltd., Black-down, Leamington Spa.
  43. 43. Edgbaston Nursing Home, 22, Somerset Road, Birmingham 15.
  44. 44. Salop Nuffield Nursing Home, Longden Road, Shrewsbury.
  45. 45. Longcroft Nursing Home, Bradgate Road, Altrincham.
  46. 46. Clifton Lane Nursing Home, Rotherham, Yorkshire.
  47. 47. St. Wilfrid's Nursing Home, 51, Bawtry Road, Bessacarr, Doncaster.
  48. 48. Fallodon Nursing Home, 4, Allerton Park, Leeds 7.
  49. 49. Mountfields Nursing Home, 77, Clarendon Road, Leeds 2.
  50. 50. Purey Cust Nursing Home, Precentor's Court, York.
  51. 51. Duchy House Nursing Home, Queen's Road, Harrogate.
  52. 52. Belvedere Nursing Home, Belvedere Road, Scarborough.
    53. 12
  53. 53. Hull Nuffield Nursing Home, West-bourne Avenue, Hull, Yorks.
  54. 54. Northern Hospital, 1A, Osborne Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne 2.

Mr. St. John-Stevas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many abortions have been carried out since the Act came into operation on women whose usual place of residence is abroad; and what percentage this represents of total abortions carried out;

(2) how many abortions have been carried out since the Abortion Act came into operation on women whose usual place of residence is abroad under the National Health Service.

Mr. Crossman

Up to 31st December 1968, 1,103 (5.0 per cent.) of women on whom abortions were carried out gave a place of usual residence outside the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and Channel Islands. Of this number, 30 attended National Health Service Hospitals. Figures for 1969 are not yet available. (These figures relate to notifications for England and Wales.)

Mr. St. John-Stevas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions have been carried out on women since the Abortion Act came into operation on, respectively, married women, single women, widowed women, and divorced women; and what percentage of the total number of abortions carried out they represent.

Mr. Crossman

Up to 27th May, 1969, notifications in England and Wales totalled 18,322 (44.2 per cent.) for married women, 19,617 (47.3 per cent.) for single women and 3,416 (8.2 per cent.) for widowed, divorced and separated. This last category is not readily subdivided.

Marital condition was not stated in 141 cases (0.3 per cent.).

Mr. St. John-Stevas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many deaths have occurred as a result of abortion since the Abortion Act came into operation; and what was the annual death rate for abortion in the year before the Act came into operation.

Mr. Crossman

Provisional death registrations for all forms of abortion numbered 42 from 1st April 1968 to 31st March 1969.

In the immediately preceding twelve month period there were 36 such deaths registered, giving a rate of 3.3 per million women aged 15 to 49. (These figures relate to England and Wales.)

Mr. St. John-Stevas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions have been carried out since the Abortion Act came into operation on the grounds, respectively, of risk to the physical or mental health of existing children of the family and of risk that the child, if born, would have suffered from physical or mental abnormalities which would render it seriously handicapped; and what percentage of the total abortions carried out they represent.

Mr. Crossman

Up to 27th May, 1969, 1,629 notifications (3.9 per cent.) and 1,232 notifications (3.0 per cent.) respectively in England and Wales.

A further 690 (1.7 per cent.) were attributed to combined grounds of risk to health of mother and risk of abnormal child and 6,098 (14.7 per cent.) on two or more grounds including risk to health of existing children.