HC Deb 19 June 1990 vol 174 cc510-1W
Mr. Duffy

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total number of abortions, under the terms of the Abortion Act 1967, in the Sheffield health authority area for each of the last three years for which figures are available; how many of these abortions were performed(a) on ground four and (b) ground five; and how many of these abortions were notified in the national health service sector, and how many in the private sector.

Mr. Dorrell

Abortion data by district of termination are not released on grounds of confidentiality; data for usual residents of Sheffield district health authority are shown in the table:

Number of abortions performed under statutory grounds (a) four and (b) five of the Abortion Act 1967, and by category of premises, usual residents of Sheffield district health authority, 1987, 1988 and 19891
Year Statutory grounds Total Category of premises
Four Five NHS Non-NHS
1987 28 1,485 814 671
1988 15 1,507 901 606
11989 12 1,503 889 614
1 Provisional

Statutory ground 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.

Statutory ground 5: to save the life of the pregnant woman.