§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish data on the number of abortions for each week over 19 weeks for each of the last five years; if he will subdivide the data according to whether the abortion was carried out in a private or a National Health Service hospital; and whether or not the foetus was deformed.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 17 May 1985, c. 255 -6]: We do not collect information about the condition of the aborted foetus.
The remaining data requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, readily available information is given in the table, which relates to the numbers of legal abortions carried out under the Abortion Act of 1967 which were notified by the end of February following the data year.
Legal abortions (total and non-resident) by period of gestation 19 to 28 weeks; all premises, NHS and private sector for resident only 1981 to 1983 (England and Wales) 1981 Gestation(weeks) Total Non-residents Residents Total NHS Non NHS* 19 1,630 731 899 212 687 20 1,315 585 730 280 450 21 577 294 283 113 170 22 720 418 302 89 213 23 489 324 165 35 130 24 276 145 131 34 97 25 63 17 46 16 30 26 62 16 46 21 25 27 14 5 9 5 4 28† — — — — — * Associated with severe fetal abnormality † Includes operations carried out in the private sector on NHS patients Note:
In March 1981 a new notification form was introduced which seeks a direct statement of gestation and the basis on which it is derived. Previously gestation was calculated as the number of completed weeks between the stated date of last menstrual period and date of operation.
596W
1982 Gestation(weeks) Total Non-residents Residents Total NHS Non NHS* 19 1,792 842 950 237 713 20 1,262 552 710 299 411 21 622 348 274 72 202 22 853 519 334 84 250 23 477 307 170 27 143 24 359 240 119 16 103 25 48 12 36 12 24 26 43 10 33 16 17 27 8 2 6 6 — 28† 3 — 3 3 — * Associated with severe fetal abnormality † Includes operations carried out in the private sector on NHS patients
1983 Gestation(weeks) Total Non-residendts Residents Total NHS Non NHS* 19 1,606 742 864 214 650 20 1,321 659 662 272 390 21 651 321 330 75 255 22 936 579 357 79 278 23 451 291 160 31 129 24 408 257 151 32 119 25 39 5 34 13 21 26 41 5 36 16 20 27 14 — 14 13 1 28† 2 — 2 2 — * Associated with severe fetal abnormality † Includes operations carried out in the private sector on NHS patients