§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many legal abortions were performed in 1996(a) with anti progesterone and (b) without overnight stay on women resident in each (i) health region and (ii) district health authority; and how many in each case involved (1) NHS hospitals, (2) NHS agency arrangements and (3) other purchasers. [28002]
§ Mr. DarlingThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. The tables referred to in the letter have been made available in the Library.
Letter from Tim Holt to Dr. Jenny Tonge, dated February 1998:
240WThe Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), to your recent question on legal abortions in 1996.The information requested is shown in the attached tables.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the weekly numbers of conceptions that end in termination. [28858]
§ Mr. DarlingThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Peter Bottomley, dated 11 February 1998:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me, as Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), to answer your question on the number of weekly conceptions that end in termination.In England and Wales during 1995, the latest year for which figures are available, there were an average of 2,988 conceptions per week which resulted in an abortion performed under the 1967 Abortion Act. This figure is estimated from abortion notifications using the stated gestation period and date of abortion to calculate the date of conception. It takes no account of spontaneous or illegal abortions for which no information is available.