HC Deb 30 October 1992 vol 212 cc935-6W
Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will give a breakdown by regional health authority of the numbers of abortions in the last 12-month period for which figures are available and which were undertaken by the use of RU486;

(2) what information she has concerning the number of occasions during the last 12-month period upon which a woman has required treatment as a result of complications associated with abortions performed using the drug RU486.

Mr. Sackville

Between July 1991, when Mifegyne, known as RU486, was first licensed, and December 1991, the chief medical officers of England and Wales were notified of 109 abortions where the drug was used. A breakdown by regional health authority of woman's residence is given in the table:

Regional health authority of residence Number of abortions carried out using mifegyne (RU486)
Northern 4
Yorkshire 16
Trent
East Anglian
North West Thames 7
North East Thames 23
South East Thames 4
South West Thames 6
Wessex 4
Oxford 18
South Western 4
West Midlands 4
Regional health authority of residence Number of abortions carried out using mifegyne (RU486)
Mersey 3
North Western 10
Wales 6
Total 109

There was one case where a complication was reported.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give a breakdown by gestation of the numbers of late abortions in the last 12 months for which figures are available which have involved the use of potassium chloride injections.

Mr. Sackville

In 1991, 10 abortions over 24 weeks gestation were notified to the chief medical officers of England and Wales where the method used involved potassium chloride injections. A breakdown by gestation period is given in the table:

Gestation period Number of abortions
25 to 29 weeks 6
30 weeks and over 4
TOTAL 10