§ Ms. Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out the number of births in England and Wales to resident girls aged 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 years for each of the years from 1969 to 1983; and if he will also show the rate of births to these age groups per 1,000 girls.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe information is given in the table.
This information on live-births cannot be compared exactly to information on the number of abortions performed in England and Wales to resident girls of the same ages, as provided in my reply to another question by the hon. Member on 20 November at columns 128–129. This is because live births occur on average nine months after conception whereas abortions take place on average three months after conception. The Office of Population 200W Censuses and Surveys has, however, published detailed statistics on abortions and births combined, analysed by the age of the mother at conception, and these can he found in OPCS Monitor No. FMI 84/6 dated 17 July 1984, a copy of which is in the Library.
Live births occurring to girls aged 11–15, 1969–1983, England and Wales*
Age of mother Year of occurrence 11 12 13 14 15 Number of births 1969 3 11 32 204 1,236 1970 3 9 24 217 1,166 1971 1 4 32 229 1,248 1972 1 4 27 241 1,317 1973 1 7 38 271 1,361 1974 0 6 23 258 1,282 1975 1 3 35 232 1,259 1976 1 3 34 215 1,173 1977 0 3 22 208 1,074 1978 2 1 22 194 1,164 1979 2 2 26 208 1,138 1980 9 8 18 190 1,056 1981‡ 10 0 20 190 960 1982 0 11 14 192 952 1983 0 3 22 174 1,050 Births per 1,000 girls at each age† 1969 0.01 0.03 0.10 0.65 3.82 1970 0.01 0.03 0.07 0.68 3.65 1971 — 0.01 0.09 0.68 3.80 1972 — 0.01 0.08 0.70 3.92 1973 — 0.02 0.10 0.76 3.93 1974 — 0.02 0.06 0.71 3.60 1975 — 0.01 0.09 0.61 3.45 1976 — 0.01 0.09 0.55 3.08 1977 — 0.01 0.05 0.53 2.76 1978 0.01 — 0.05 0.48 2.95 1979 0.01 0.01 0.07 0.51 2.81 1980 0.02 0.02 0.05 0.48 2.59 1981‡ 0.02 — 0.05 0.48 2.40 1982 — 0.03 0.04 0.50 2.42 1983 — 0.01 0.06 0.49 2.92 * The figures may include a very small number of births to girls whose usual residence was outside England and Wales. † All rates have been based upon estimates of the resident population revised following the 1981 Census. Rates per 1,000 have not been calculated where there is only one recorded birth in the age group. ‡ The 1981 figures are estimates based upon a 10 per cent. sample of births; small numbers are therefore subject to particular uncertainty.