§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report those recommendations
426W
Number of abortions carried out under the Abortion Act 1967 by gestation, statutory grounds and mothers age. Residents and non-residents of England and Wales, 1987. Statutory grounds Age Gestation weeks 17–18 19–20 21–22 23+ All grounds Under 15 67 27 35 31 15 204 92 71 38 16–19 1,608 978 539 336 2 (alone) Under 15 65 25 35 31 15 201 91 71 38 16–19 1,552 926 520 329 3 (with or without 2) Under 20 34 23 9 4 contained in the Select Committee on the Abortion (Amendment) Bill 1974–75 which have been implemented; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanThe then Secretary of State announced acceptance in principle of the nine recommendations made by the Select Committee and all of them were subsequently implemented in part or in full.
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in theOfficial Report those recommendations contained in the First and Second Reports of the Select Committee on Abortion 1976 which have not been implemented; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanThe first report of the Select Committee recommended that the Government should introduce legislation to amend the Abortion Act 1967 in a number of ways. This would, however, have involved departure from the longstanding practice of leaving legislation on abortion to Bills brought forward by private Members as successive Governments have been neutral on abortion legislation. The second report concentrated on research, conscientious objection, disparity in the provision of NHS services, and the cost of abortion in the NHS, and made four recommendations which were not taken forward in the terms in which they were expressed.
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the number of abortions performed on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years according to the grounds of termination in each year since 1968;
(2) what was the total number of abortions performed on girls aged 10, II, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years since 1968.
§ Mr. Freeman1 regret that the information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of abortions performed on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years according to the grounds of termination in 1987 and 1988 for 18 weeks and each week thereafter to 28 weeks.
§ Mr. FreemanThe exact information requested cannot be released for reasons of maintaining confidentiality. The table shows the data which can be released within these constraints for 1987; data for 1988 are not yet available.
427W
Statutory grounds Age Gestation weeks 17–18 19–20 21–22 23+ 4 (alone)+ 4 (with any other except 1) Under 20 26 30 9 5 Others Under 20 1 2 1 0
§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of abortions at 21 weeks, 23 weeks and 24 weeks gestation were performed during 1987 and 1988 on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years to save the life of the pregnant woman.
§ Mr. FreemanThere were three abortions performed in England and Wales in 1987 with mention of ground 5 of the 1967 Abortion Act (which allows abortions to be performed in order to save the life of the pregnant woman). Further details relating to age or gestation cannot be given for reasons of maintaining confidentiality.
Data for 1988 are not yet available.