HC Deb 28 July 1989 vol 157 cc996-1002W
Ms. Richardson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions at 25 weeks, 26 weeks and 27 weeks were performed during 1988 because of a substantial risk that if the child were born it would be seriously handicapped.

Mr. Freeman

The data for 1988, which are provisional, are shown in the table.

Number of abortions performed under ground 41 of the 1967 Abortion Act by week of gestation, England and Wales 1988
Gestation week Number
25 5
26 7
27 6
1 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.

National health service abortions on usual residents of regional health authorities (RHAs). (a) total number and (b) day cases. Selected gestation periods, 1988
Gestation under 9 weeks Gestation 9 to 12 weeks
Area of usual residence (a) (b) (a) (b)
England and Wales 15,064 9,663 45,974 25,103
England 14,476 9,495 42,958 24,704
Wales 588 168 3,016 399
Northern RHA 1,459 939 3,884 2,239
Yorkshire RHA 660 246 2,178 872
Trent RHA 1,109 579 4,172 2,086
East Anglian RHA 735 421 2,572 1,216
North West Thames RHA 1,505 1,014 3,324 2,052
North East Thames RHA 2,297 1,915 6,408 5,030
South East Thames RHA 1,357 1,029 3,559 2,225
South West Thames RHA 990 774 2,147 1,419
Wessex RHA 474 241 2,018 907
Oxford RHA 1,012 873 2,001 1,412
South Western RHA 784 479 3,683 2,228
West Midlands RHA 537 267 1,740 625
Mersey RHA 507 355 2,226 1,627
North Western RHA 1,050 363 3,046 816

Mr. Amess

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in 1987 and 1988 on residents aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 years at each of the following gestational ages: less than nine weeks, nine to 12 weeks, 13 to 16 weeks, 17 to 20 weeks, 21 to 24 weeks and 24 weeks and over on each of the seven grounds.

Mr. Freeman

[holding answer 25 July 1989]: The exact information requested cannot be released on grounds of confidentiality; the tables show such data as can be released.

Number of abortions performed on residents aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 years by gestation weeks in 1988, by statutory grounds1
Age of mother Gestation weeks Statutory grounds
All grounds (mentions) 2 All others
10 Under 9 4 3 1
9–12 4 4 0
13–16 1 1 0
17–20 1 1 0
21–24 0 0 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0

Ms. Richardson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of legal abortions under nine weeks, nine to 12 weeks, 13 to 16 weeks and over 16 weeks since last menstrual period, performed on women resident in each regional health authority and in each district health authority in England and Wales in 1988.

Mr. Freeman

The information has been placed in the Library.

Ms. Richardson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of National Health Service abortions under nine weeks and nine to 12 weeks since last menstrual period, and the respective numbers of these abortions involving admission and discharge on the same day, performed on women resident in each regional health authority and in each district health authority in England and Wales in 1988.

Mr. Freeman

The information requested cannot be released at district health authority level on the grounds of confidentiality. Data for usual residents of regional health authorities are shown in the table.

Age of mother Gestation weeks Statutory grounds
All grounds (mentions) 2 All others
11 Under 9 0 0 0
9–12 0 0 0
13–16 0 0 0
17–20 0 0 0
21–24 0 0 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0
12 Under 9 2 2 0
9–12 2 2 0
13–16 0 0 0
17–20 1 1 0
21–24 2 2 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0
13 Under 9 18 18 0
9–12 44 43 1
13–16 15 15 0
17–20 8 8 0
21–24 4 4 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0

Age of mother Gestation weeks Statutory grounds
All grounds 2 All others
(mentions)
14 Under 9 185 182 3
9–12 355 354 1
13–16 129 125 4
17–20 66 65 1
21–24 37 37 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0
15 Under 9 611 605 6
9–12 1,465 1446 19
13–16 382 375 7
17–20 217 214 3
21–24 58 57 1
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 1 1 0
16 Under 9 1,536 1,522 14
9–12 3,724 3,657 67
13–16 787 779 8
17–20 414 407 7
21–24 136 132 4
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 1 1 0

Number of abortions performed on residents aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 years by gestation weeks in 1987, by statutory grounds1
Statutory grounds
Age of mother Gestation weeks All grounds (mentions) 2 All others
10 Under 9 8 7 1
9–12 5 4 1
13–16 1 1 0
17–20 2 1 1
21–24 0 0 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0
11 Under 9 0 0 0
9–12 1 1 0
13–16 0 0 0
17–20 0 0 0

Number of abortions performed on residents aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 years by gestation weeks
Statutory grounds1
Age of mother Gestation weeks All grounds (mentions) 1 2 3 4 5 6
1987
10 to 16 Under 9 2,353 10 2,319 23 1 0 0
9 to 12 5,576 21 5,480 69 6 0 0
13 to 16 1,324 1 1,303 16 4 0 0
17 to 20 694 2 672 10 10 0 0
21 to 24 213 0 209 2 2 0 0
24+ 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
Not stated 2 0 2 0 0 0 0
1988
10 to 16 Under 9 2,356 4 2,332 16 4 0 0
9 to 12 5,594 14 5,506 71 3 0 0
13 to 16 1,314 0 1,295 15 4 0 0
17 to 20 707 1 696 5 5 0 0
21 to 24 237 0 232 3 2 0 0
24+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Not stated 2 0 2 0 0 0 0
1 Conditions of the statutory grounds are:
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 that 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 handicapped.
5. To save the life of the pregnant woman.
6. To prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

Statutory grounds
Age of mother Gestation weeks All grounds (mentions) 2 All others
21–24 0 0 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0
12 Under 9 3 3 0
9–12 4 4 0
13–16 3 3 0
17–20 0 0 0
21–24 0 0 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0
13 Under 9 26 25 1
9–12 55 55 0
13–16 16 15 1
17–20 12 11 1
21–24 6 6 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0
14 Under 9 171 167 4
9–12 398 393 5
13–16 126 126 0
17–20 61 58 3
21–24 34 34 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0
15 Under 9 639 630 9
9–12 1,560 1,534 26
13–16 398 391 7
17–20 225 221 4
21–24 66 66 0
24+ 0 0 0
Not stated 0 0 0
16 Under 9 1,506 1,487 19
9–12 3,553 3,489 64
13–16 780 767 13
17–20 394 381 13
21–24 107 103 4
24+ 1 0 1
Not stated 2 2 0

Mr. Amess

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish in theOfficial Report a breakdown of the reasons for abortions performed under grounds (a) one, (b) three, (c) four, (d) five, (e) six and (f) seven of the Abortion Act 1967 for 1987 and 1988.

Mr. Freeman

[holding answer 25 July 1989]: The information requested is shown in the tables.

Abortions performed under ground 11 (with any other) of the 1967 Abortion Act: numbers by principal medical condition, England and Wales, 1987–1988.
Number
ICD2 Condition 1987 1988
All legal abortions 480 486
641 Antepartum haemorrhage, abruptio placentae and placenta praevia 2 3
642 Hypertension complicating pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium 73 145
643 Excessive vomiting in pregnancy 10 2
646–648 Other complications of pregnancy 227 250
654 Abnormality of organs and soft tissue of pelvis 8 5
655 Known or suspected foetal abnormality affecting management of mother 30 24
656–659.9 Other foetal complications 1
Without mention of specific medical condition 98 27
1 The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant women greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
2 International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code, 9th revision.

Abortions performed under ground 31 (with or without 2) of the Abortion Act: numbers by principal medical condition, England and Wales, 1987–1988.
ICD2 Condition Number
1987 1988
All legal abortions 17,247 17,902
642 Hypertension complicating pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium 15 14
643 Excessive vomiting in pregnancy 4 3
646–648 Other complications of pregnancy 13,573 14,787
654 Abnormality of organs and soft tissue of pelvis 8 12
655 Known or suspected foetal abnormality affecting management of mother 32 8
656–659.9 Other foetal complications 3 2
Without mention of specific medical condition 3,597 3,060
1 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.
2 International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code, 9th revision.

Abortions performed under ground 41 (alone) of the 1967 Abortion Act: numbers by principal medical condition—England and Wales, 1987–88
ICD2 Condition Number
1987 1988
All legal abortions 1,233 1,215
646–648 Other complications of pregnancy 20 6
655 Known or suspected foetal abnormality affecting management of mother 1,192 1,197
656–659.9 Other foetal complications 20 10
Without mention of specific medical condition 1 2
1 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.
2 International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code, 9th revision.

Abortions performed under ground 41 (with any other except 1 and excluding 4 alone) of the 1967 Abortion Act: numbers by principal medical condition—England and Wales, 1987–88
ICD2 Condition Number
1987 1988
All legal abortions 682 560
640 Haemorrhage in early pregnancy 1
646–648 Other complications of pregnancy 49 24
654 Abnormality of organs and soft tissue of pelvis 1 1
655 Known or suspected foetal abnormality affecting management of mother 611 519
656–659.9 Other foetal complications 10 10
Without mention of specific medical condition 9 5
1 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.
2 International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code, 9th revision.

Abortions performed under grounds 5 or 61 of the 1967 Abortion Act: numbers by principal medical condition, England and Wales, 1987–1988.
ICD2 Condition 1987–88 Total
All legal abortions 18
Maternal complications 13
Foetal complications 1
Other 4
1 (5) to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (6) to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
2 International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code, 9th revision.