§ Ms. RichardsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the number of illegal abortions based on statistics for maternal deaths, admissions to hospital following septic abortion, prosecutions for procuring illegal abortion and cases known to the police for the periods from 1960 to 1967, 1968 to 1975, 1976 to 1983 and 1984 to the most recent date.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyNot all the information is available in the form requested. No meaningful estimate of illegal abortions can be derived from the available statistics on maternal deaths or treatment in hospital for septic abortion.
The available information on maternal deaths for the period requested is as follows:
Number of deaths from criminal abortion in England and Wales Number 1961–63 77 1964–66 98 1967–69 74 1970–72 37 1973–75 10 1976–78 4 1979–81 1 1982–84 nil Source: Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in England and Wales.
Preliminary investigation shows no evidence of deaths for the period 1985–87.
Information on prosecutions for procuring illegal abortions and cases known to the police are matters for my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary. The available information is given in the table.
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Offences recorded by the police for procuring illegal abortion Prosecutions for procuring illegal abortion 1960 221 44 1961 245 59 1962 406 90
Offences recorded by the police for procuring illegal abortion Prosecutions for procuring illegal abortion 1963 239 62 1964 271 80 1965 184 77 1966 208 65 1967 314 61 1968 247 75 1969 257 57 1970 212 52 1971 80 34 1972 62 26 1973 36 11 1974 21 8 1975 14 1 1976 9 3 1977 11 4 1978 7 3 1979 3 1 1980 2 3 1981 3 — 1982 3 — 1983 5 1 1984 1 3 1985 4 2 1986 3 1 1987 3 2 1988 3 6