§ Sir G. Sinclairasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress he has made, following his circular of March 1978 in establishing additional counselling and referral services and clinics and day centres as part of the National Health Service provisions under the Abortion Act 1967.
§ Mr. MoyleDevelopment of services is achieved through planning guidance and discussions with health authorties. In March this year my Department issued planning guidelines which asked health authorities to review the provision for women seeking termination of pregnancy and to develop facilities for abortion on a day-care basis—circular HC(78) 12. We shall be looking carefully at health authorities' plans to see what improvements they propose in the provision of abortion facilities and my officials will discuss these plans further with regional health authorities.
I know already that in at least two regions where NHS abortion facilities have fallen well short of meeting the needs of the population, encouraging progress is being made towards remedying the situation.
Health authorities were asked in a previous circular—HS(77)26—to review their arrangements for abortion counselling and the training needs of those likely to be approached by women seeking an abortion. My Department is aware, through applications for funding of pilot training projects and other inquiries, that active consideration is being given to counselling arrangements, and in particular the need for appropriate training, in at least nine regions.
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§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) in which area health authorities day-care abortion clinics have been set up in 1978.
(2) if he will encourage all area health authorities to open day-care abortion units so that abortions can be carried out as early as possible in pregnancy.
§ Mr. MoyleI refer my hon. Friend to my replies on 18th July to the hon. Member for Hastings (Mr. Warren)—[Vol. 954, c.194–5]—and today to the hon. Member for Dorking (Sir G. Sinclair).