HC Deb 26 January 1995 vol 253 cc328-9W
Ms Mowlem

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many abortions were performed by each health and social services board in Northern Ireland in the past five years; and what were the age categories of the women.

Mr. Moss

While the Abortion Act 1967 does not extend to Northern Ireland, therapeutic abortions can be carried out in Northern Ireland hospitals on strictly medical grounds. The number of such terminations cannot be identified separately in the information collected centrally on obstetric and gynaecological procedures.

Ms Mowlem

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of women travelling from Northern Ireland to Great Britain for abortions during the past five years aged(a) under 19 years, (b) between 19 and 25 years and (c) 25 years or over.

Mr. Moss

The information is not collected in the form requested. The table shows the number of legal abortions performed on Northern Ireland residents in England, Wales and Scotland between 1989 and 1993 by available age bands.

(i) Home civil service
1991 1992 1993 1994
Total 93 109 113 110
Grade 7 2 4 5 4
Grade 3 0 0 0 0
Executive officer 12 13 16 19
Administrative officer 15 14 12 10
Administrative assistant 3 7 7 8

(ii) Northern Ireland civil servants, non-industrial
1991 1992 1993 1994
Total 12,175 12,554 12,871 13,119
Grade 7 73 81 100 124
Grade 3 1 1 1 2
Executive officer I 1,082 1,102 1,176 1,166
Executive officer II 2,041 2,106 2,167 2,198
Administrative officer 5,390 5,513 5,614 5,794
Administrative assistant 2,706 2,797 2,780 2,780

NB:

Part-time staff are included (by head count)

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