HC Deb 08 May 1990 vol 172 cc83-4W
Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the availability of abortion services in the National Health Service.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The level of gynaecological provision including abortion, like other provision within the National Health Service, is decided by individual health authorities. The Government believe that such decisions are best taken locally in the light of authorities' first-hand knowledge of local needs and priorities and competing claims on resources.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the abortion rate for the last year for which figures are available in the United Kingdom and other EEC countries.

Mr. Dorrell

The abortion rate for Great Britain2 and other EEC countries for the latest year for which figures are available is shown in the table.

Country Year Rate (per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44)
Great Britain 1988 316.0
Denmark 1986 17.7
Germany, Federal Republic 1986 6.4
France 1985 14.5
Greece 1985 10.1
Netherlands 1985 15.1
Italy 1984 118.6
Belgium 4
Country Year Rate (per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44)
Irish Republic 4
Luxembourg n/a
Portugal n/a
Spain n/a

Note: n/a =Not available.

1 Provisional.

2 The 1967 Abortion Act does not apply to Northern Ireland.

3 Great Britain data was prepared from OPCS sources and the General Registrar Office, Scotland.

4 Not applicable.

The hon. Member may also be interested in the research report by Jennifer Gunning on "Human IVF, embryo research, foetal tissue for research and treatment, and abortion, International Information", published in February 1990, which provides additional information and is available in the Library.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the causes of late abortion; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

In 1988, the latest year for which data are available, there were 22 abortions in England and Wales after 24 weeks gestation. Eighteen of these were carried out on the grounds of suspected serious foetal abnormality whilst the other four were as a result of a serious risk to the pregnant woman should the pregnancy continue having been identified.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions in the last year were carried out on (i) an in-patient and (ii) and out-patient basis.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

In 1988, the latest complete year for which data are available, there were 77,455 abortions carried out where the woman did not stay overnight. A further 105,796 abortions were performed where the duration of stay was one or more nights, (which would include any planned day cases where the woman stayed overnight). There were 547 notifications received on which this information was not recorded.

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