§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many legal abortions have been performed since the Abortion Act came into force, and what was the corresponding number in a similar period immediately preceding the Act.
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SECURITY (BARONESS SEROTA)The numbers of abortions notified since the Abortion Act came into force are shown in the following table. Comparable data are not available for earlier periods, but included in the table are estimates of the numbers of abortions induced for medical reasons, in National Health Service hospitals only, in the two calendar years preceding 1968.
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England and Wales 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 Estimated numbers of abortions induced for medical reasons in N.H.S. hospitals (from Hospital In-Patient 10 per cent. Inquiry) 6,380 9,700 — — — Notifications of abortions carried out under the Abortion Act, 1967:— In National Health Service hospitals Not applicable 13,609* 33,150 2,699† In approved and other places Not applicable 8,647* 21,007 1,699† *For the period April 27-December 30, 1968. † For the four weeks ended January 27, 1970. House adjourned at twenty-four minutes past eight o'clock.