HC Deb 12 June 1986 vol 99 cc294-5W
Mrs. Ann Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what are the current criteria used within the Health Service in Northern Ireland to decide if a pregnant woman should have an induced abortion; and whether these criteria have changed in the last 10 years;

(2) if he will list the names of those hospitals in Northern Ireland, both National Health Service and private, in which abortions are currently performed; and if he will state in the case of each of these establishments the number of abortions which were performed in the latest year for which figures are available;

(3) how many (a) births and (b) abortions have taken place within the National Health Service in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Mr. Needham

In Northern Ireland abortions are carried out only on therapeutic grounds where the life of the woman is threatened by the pregnancy or where continuance of the pregnancy is likely to cause grave danger to her physical or mental health. There has been no change in these criteria in the last 10 years.

Therapeutic terminations of pregnancy may be carried out in any gynaecological unit in the Province. Statistical information is not collected in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The number of births (including still-births) which occurred in hospitals administered by the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland for the years 1975 to 1984 is as follows. These figures include a small number of births to private patients but this number cannot be quantified.

Number of births
1975 26,095
1976 26,284
1977 25,816
1978 26,496
1979 28,208
1980 28,706
1981 27,431
1982 *
1983 27,198
1984 27,701
* Not available due to industrial action.