§ Mr. O'Halloranasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions were carried out in the National Health Service hospitals in the Greater London area, in each of the years 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972; and what percentage these were of the total number of abortions notified in each case.
§ Mr. AlisonInformation about abortions by area of treatment is available only for hospital regions. The following are the numbers of abortions carried out in England and Wales to women resident in the Greater London Council area:
N.H.S. Hospitals Total in N.H.S. and non-N.H.S. N.H.S. as percentage of total 1969 8,465 15,684 54.0 1970 11,613 21,749 53.4 1971 12,606 26,670 47.3 1972 14,057 30,245 46.5
§ Dame Patricia Hornsby-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any estimate of the numbers of patients whose obstetric and gynaecological operations in London hospitals have been delayed by virtue of the priority given to patients seeking abortions.
§ Sir K. JosephThe question of the impact of the Abortion Act on gynaecological departments is one on which I would expect that the Lane Committee on the working of the Abortion Act will wish to comment. I hope to receive its report in the near future.