§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 29 October, at column415, how many abortions in England and Wales performed upon resident women in the latest year for which figures are available were performed on women aged 41 years and over at 18 weeks or more gestation; and how many of these abortions were performed (a) for reason that the mother was carrying a seriously handicapped child, (b) in emergency to save the life of the mother and (c) for social reasons under Ground 2 of the Abortion Act.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information is shown in the table:
Notifications of abortions performed on women aged 41 and over residents of England and Wales at 18 weeks or more gestation by statutory grounds (mentions), 1986 Statutory Grounds1 Number (mentions) 2 54 4 41 5 — 1 The statutory grounds in the Abortion Act 1967 include: Ground 2 the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated. Ground 4—there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.
Ground 5 — in emergency to save the life of the pregnant woman.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of abortions at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available was performed on overseas women; and what percentage of such abortions at 18 weeks or more gestation was performed in non-National Health Service facilities.
§ Mr. Newton[holding answer 26 October 1987]: The number of abortions at 18 weeks or more gestation carried out in England and Wales in 1986 was 8,276. Of these, 3,565 (43 per cent.) were to women usually resident in 95W countries other than England, Wales or Scotland; and of the 3,565, 3,562 (99.9 per cent.) were performed in non-National Health Service facilities.