HC Deb 29 November 1989 vol 162 cc290-3W
Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he requires an interpreter fluent in the language of the foreign mother presenting for an abortion to be present during counselling.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Clinics accepting foreign patients for treatment already have arrangements for interpreters to be present when required.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more upon women with four or fewer previous children; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

Mr. Freeman

The number of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 upon usually resident women with four or fewer previous liveborn or stillborn children at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales, 19881 was 6,374. This figure represents 98.90 per cent. of all abortions performed upon usual residents at 18 weeks or more gestation.

1Provisional data.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more upon resident women; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

Mr. Freeman

The number of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 upon usually resident women at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales 19881 was 6,445. This figure represents 66.37 per cent. of all abortions performed at 18 weeks or more gestation upon usual residents and non-residents.

1Provisional data.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more in emergency to save the life of the mother; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

Mr. Freeman

There were no abortions performed on usual residents of England and Wales 19881 at 18 weeks or more gestation in an emergency to save the life of the pregnant woman (ground 5 of the Abortion Act 1967).

1Provisional data.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more for the reason that the child was likely to be born handicapped; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

Mr. Freeman

The number of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 upon usual residents of England and Wales, 19881 at 18 weeks or more gestation under ground 4 of the Act, which allows abortions to be performed when 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, was 682. This figure represents 10.58 per cent. of all abortions performed upon usual residents at 18 weeks or more gestation.

1 Provisional data.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks upon single women; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

Mr. Freeman

The number of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 upon usually resident single women at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales 19881 was 4,781. This figure represents 74.18 per cent. of all abortions performed at 18 weeks or more gestation.

1 Provisional data.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more for social reasons under ground 2 of the Abortion Act; and what percentage of all abortions upon pregnancies of 18 weeks or more gestation this figure represents.

Mr. Freeman

The number of abortions performed under ground 2 of the Abortion Act 1967 (which allows abortions to be performed when 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) upon usually resident women at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales 19881 was 5,343. This figure represents 82.9 per cent. of all abortions performed upon usual residents at 18 weeks or more gestation.

1Provisional data.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give a breakdown by grounds of the number of abortions in England and Wales performed in the latest year for which figures are available upon girls aged under 16 years, women aged 16 to 20 years, women aged 21 to 40 years, and women aged 40 years or more.

Mr. Freeman

The exact information requested is not available. The number of abortions carried out under the Abortion Act 1967 by statutory grounds and mothers age to usual residents of England and Wales 19881 is shown in the table.

Statutory grounds2 Mothers age Number of abortions
All grounds All ages 168,298
Under 16 3,568
16–19 37,928
20–39 121,332
40+ 5,470
1. (with other) All ages 479
Under 16 7
16–19 72
20–39 36
40+ 39
2. (alone) All ages 148,895
Under 16 3,522
16–19 36,601
20–39 104,625
40+ 4,147
3. (with or without) All ages1 17,181
Under 16 31
16–19 1,151
20–39 14,972
40+ 1,027
4. (alone) All ages 1,205
Under 16 3
16–19 73
20–39 1,002
40+ 127
4. (with any other except 1) All ages 527
Under 16 5
16–19 31
20–39 363
40+ 128
5. or 6. All ages 11
Under 16
16–19
20–39 9
40+ 2
1 Provisional data.
2 Statutory 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 of 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.

5. To save the life of the pregnant mother.

6. To prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the child.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give a breakdown by marital status of the total numbers of abortions performed in the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr. Freeman

Numbers of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 upon usual residents of England and Wales 19881 by marital status.

Marital status Number of abortions
Total 168,298
Single 111,044
Married 38,689
Widowed/divorced/separated 15,860
Not stated 2,705
1 Provisional data.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of abortions performed in the latest year for which figures are available upon girls aged 15 years and under, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 or more years; and, in each case, whether these were National Health Service abortions, private abortions, or National Health Service abortions performed under agency arrangements in the private sector.

Mr. Freeman

Numbers of abortions performed in 19881 to usual residents of England and Wales by category of premises and age.

Category of premises
Age NHS Non-NHS Agency
Under 16 2,063 1,505 368
16 3,184 3,329 677
17 4,055 5,157 904
18 4,389 6,209 642
19 4,679 6,926 652
20 4,709 7,057 640
21 4,603 6,887 570
1 Provisional data.

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