Abortion (Hansard, 28 November 1989)

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if foreign mothers presenting for abortion in Britain are required to give the details of medical contact in their country of origin;
(2) if he requires doctors to present documentation covering the medical details of abortion on foreign mothers undergoing abortion in Britain for presentation to their doctor on return to their country of origin.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
This kind of information is already obtained and given as part of good medical practice.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he collects any figures concerning the prevalence of abortion-induced sterility in women following abortions.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
No.
217W

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the information required of foreign mothers presenting for abortion prior to the abortion being performed.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
The information required is that normally collected from a patient seeking medical treatment.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement detailing the evidence and reasons on which he based his Department's decision to require the availability of resuscitation equipment at abortions of unborn babies of 20 weeks' gestation.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
The decision was reached at a time when measurement of foetal size by ultra-sound was less well developed and not so widely available.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has conducted any studies into the psychological effects on medical staff of performing late abortions; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
No.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the prevalence of the practice of severing the umbilical cord of an unborn baby several hours before conducting an abortion by dilation and evacuation.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
None. Severing of the umbilical cord is carried out during the first stage of one of the techniques which may be used for performing abortions. The choice of method is entirely a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor concerned.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the prevalence of the practice of anaesthetising unborn babies prior to dismemberment by dilation and evacuation in abortions after 18 weeks.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
None. The decision as to the anaesthetic technique to be employed in any particular case is a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor responsible for the patient's care.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what standards he specifies for counselling for mothers undergoing late abortions; and what checks he conducts to ensure that such standards are maintained.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
We require adequate counselling to be provided for all women seeking abortion. Checks on this are made in the course of the Department's inspection visits to approved places and registered pregnancy advice bureaux in the private sector.