§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if, in view of the fact that abortions are generally safe and simple when performed as early as possible in pregnancy, he will now instruct his inspectors to withdraw their instruction concerning physical examinations of pregnant women;
(2) why pregnant women seeking abortions are required to undergo potentially dangerous internal examinations when a positive pregnancy test has already established their condition.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI shall write to the hon. Member about these matters.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many terminations of pregnancy were carried out by caesarian section in each region in 1980 and 1981.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe following table shows the numbers of legal abortions in 1980 involving hysterotomy—incision of the uterus.
144W
Legal abortions by hysterotomy (with other methods) for Regional Health Authorities, 1980 Regional Health Authority of residence Residents Number of abortions England and Wales 685 Northern 44 Yorkshire 85 Trent 40 East Anglian 16 North West Thames 29 North East Thames 80 South East Thames 12 South West Thames 17 Wessex 19 Oxford 10
Regional Health Authority of residence Residents Number of abortions South Western 39 West Midlands 40 Mersey 46 North Western 172 Wales 36 Similar data for 1981 are not yet available.