§ Mr. Hillasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the reason for the large variations between regional districts of the National Health Service in the number of abortions carried out by practitioners working for the National Health Service seen as a percentage of the total number of abortions performed on women resident in each district.
§ Dr. Gerard. VaughanA number of factors are likely to be involved, including health authorities' assessment of local needs and priorities, the attitudes to abortion held by medical and nursing staff and the availability of gynaecological services.