§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of(a) providing the contraceptive pill free, (b) providing abortions and (c) births in the last year for which figures are available. [37835]
§ Mr. Win Griffiths(a) The total estimated cost of free contraceptive pills in 1997 to the NHS in Wales was £2.55 million.
(b) In 1996, there were 6,178 abortions to women in Wales paid for by the NHS.
(c) There were 35,066 births to Welsh residents in 1996.
Information on the costs of abortions (b) and (c) is not collected centrally. However, information is collected by medical and surgical specialty and the total expenditure by NHS Trusts on paediatrics, gynaecology, obstetrics, maternity general practice, community maternity services and community health education programmes in 1996–97 was £139.07 million.