Abortion (Hansard, 10 November 1989)

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many projects for women undergoing post-abortion trauma are funded by his Department.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
One; the joint Royal College of General Practitioners and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists study into "Attitudes to Pregnancy", which commenced in 1976.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a requirement for clinics to inform his Department of the fees charged and monies collected for termination of pregnancy.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
The Department already approves the general level of fees in the case of registered pregnancy advice bureaux, and nursing homes with more than six beds, or more than 25 per cent. of their total beds, approved for the use of abortion cases. Bureaux and nursing homes are required to issue receipts. Copies of these are examined by officials of the Department on inspection visits.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to require that the unborn child about to undergo abortion should be administered an anaesthetic prior to the operation.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
This is entirely a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor responsible.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to report to the ministries of justice in those countries which have time limits lower than the United Kingdom's the details of abortions which would violate their domestic laws.
823W

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
No. Medical treatment of such patients in this country is subject to the usual rules of confidentiality.