§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment has been made of the incidence of significant under-reporting of the numbers of abortions in some health authorities; and if she will make a statement;
(2) if she will obtain for her departmental library a copy of a publication the name of which has been supplied to her.
§ Mr. SackvilleAny evidence of under-reporting is always investigated. The publication referred to is the November 1992 issue of theBritish Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, a copy of which is held in the Department's library. One of the articles in the journal is about apparent discrepancies in the number of abortions carried out in one health region. The figures are being investigated and follow-up action will be taken if required.
§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give a breakdown by district health180W authority of the number of abortions performed in the latest year for which figures are available which are recorded (a) through the formal notification procedure and (b) through records of hospital activity; if she will calculate the percentage discrepancy in each case; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleA comparison of data from the hospital episode statistics (HES) system with those from the formal notification system is being carried out. Any discrepancies will be further investigated.
§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received concering possible under-reporting of abortions by some health authorities.
§ Mr. SackvilleTwo such representations have been received since the beginning of 1991.