§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were carried out in the latest year for which figures are available at 28 weeks, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19 and 18 weeks.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information is shown in the table.
Number of terminations performed by week of gestation England and Wales 1987 Gestation week Number 18 2,600 19 1,725 20 1,363 21 890 22 905 23 903 24 107
Notifications of abortions at 18 weeks and over gestation by age of women and statutory grounds for residents and non-residents. Numbers and percentages England and Wales. 1987 (provisional) Residents and non-residents. Total Under 16 16-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45 and over Unknown Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Statutory grounds All 8,717 100.0 437 5.0 2,711 31.1 2,887 33.1 1,942 22.3 712 8.2 27 0.3 1 0.01 1 (with any other) 27 — 2 2 9 11 3 — — — — 2 (alone) 7,691 — 429 — 2,599 — 2,600 — 1,537 — 504 — 22 — — — 3 (with or without 2) 380 — 3 — 52 — 129 — 145 — 49 — 1 — 1 — 4 (alone) 556 — 3 — 51 — 134 — 227 — 138 — 3 — — — 4 (with any other except 1, excluding 4 alone) 63 — — — 7 — 15 — 22 — 18 — 1 — — — 5 or 6 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Statutory grounds: Certified by two registered medical practitioners as necessary on any of the grounds:
1. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
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.
3. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk or injury to the physical or mental health of any existing child(ren) in the family of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
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.
Certified by the operating practitioner as immediately necessary:
5. In emergency, to save the life of the pregnant woman.
6. In emergency, to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many and what percentage of these abortions were performed at 18 weeks or more gestation;
(2) how many and what percentage of the abortions performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available in pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation were performed (a) in the private sector, (b) in the National Health Service or (c) by the National Health Service in the private sector under agency arrangements;
(3) how many and what percentage of the abortions performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available on pregnancies of 18 weeks or over were performed upon (a) women normally resident in the United Kingdom and (b) women from overseas;
(4) how many and what percentage of the abortions performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available on pregnancies of 18 weeks or over were performed under each statutory ground;
(5) if he will give a breakdown by (a) numbers of previous children and (b) numbers of previous abortions of the numbers and percentages of abortions performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available at 18 weeks or more gestation;
(6) how many and what percentage of abortions in the latest year for which figures are available were performed in England and Wales upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or
238W
Gestation week Number 25 11 26 9 27 3 28 1
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give a breakdown by age, including girls aged under 16 years, of the numbers and percentages of abortions performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available on pregnancies of 18 weeks or over, and indicate the statutory grounds on which the abortions were performed.
§ Mr. Freeman[holding answer 13 December 1988]: The information is shown in the table.
more gestation because (a) the child was likely to be born handicapped or (b) the pregnancy had arisen as a result of rape;
(7) how many and what percentage of all abortions performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation were performed under ground 2 of the Abortion Act.
§ Mr. Freeman[holding answer 13 December]: The information is given in the table. Statutory ground four gives the number of notifications of abortions carried out under the Abortion Act 1967 where there is substantial risk that if the child were to be born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped. Rape is not in itself a statutory ground for abortion, but arrangements have been made to identify separately those notification forms which mention rape. Other abortions may have been performed where rape may have occurred, but we cannot identify these in the statistics.
Notifications of abortions carried out under the Abortion Act 1967, all gestations; 18 completed weeks and over by category of premises, area of usual residence, statutory grounds, number of previous live and still born children, number of previous abortions under the Act, with mention of rape on notification form. Residents and non-residents of England and Wales. England and Wales 1987 (provisional) 239W
Notifications of Abortions Total residents and non-residents Number Per cent. Gestation (completed weeks) All 174,276 100.0 18 and over 8,717 5.0 Gestation 18 completed weeks and over Category of premises All 8,717 100.0 NHS 1,235 14.2 Non-NHS 7,482 85.8 of which Agency 437 5.0 Area of usual residence United Kingdom 5,476 62.8 Elsewhere 3,241 37.2 Statutory grounds 1 (with any other) 27 0.3 2 (alone) 7,691 88.2 3 (with/without 2) 380 4.4 4 (alone) 556 6.4 4 (with any other, ex 1, 4 alone) 63 0.7 5 or 6 — — Number of previous live or still born children 0 6,023 69.1 1 1,288 14.8 2 801 9.2 3 351 4.0 4 and over 200 2.3 Not stated 54 0.6 Number of previous abortions under the Act 0 7,426 85.2 1 1,078 12.4 2 125 1.4 3 24 0.3 4 and over 10 0.1 Not stated 54 0.6 Mention of rape on notification form 1 0.0 Statutory grounds.
Certified by two registered medical practitioners as necessary on any of the grounds:
1. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.2. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant women greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.3. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk or injury to the physical or mental health of any existing child(ren) in the family of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.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.Certified by the operating practitioner as immediately necessary:
5. In emergency, to save the life of the pregnant women.6. In emergency, to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant women.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions have so far been performed in England and Wales under the terms of the Abortion Act 1967.
§ Mr. Freeman[holding answer 13 December]: The total number of notifications of abortions carried out under the Abortion Act 1967 received by the end of August 1988 for terminations performed in England and Wales from 27 240W April 1968 to 30 June 1988 is 2,899,405. A small number of notifications received after statistics have been compiled for each year are excluded.