§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) conceptions, (b) maternities and (c) abortions were recorded among girls of each year of age under 16 in each health region in each year since 1989. [28209]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 8 March 2002:
619WThe National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many (a) conceptions, (b) maternities and (c) abortions were recorded among girls of each year of age under 16 in each health region in each year since 1989. I am replying in his absence. (28209)The available figures based on health regions using boundaries as at 1 April 2001 are for the years 1992–2000. These are shown in the attached table. Figures for years before 1992 are only available for the old regional health authority areas prevailing at the time and would not be comparable with 2001 health regions. For consistency, the figures are all presented using age at conception for girls conceiving under age 16.620W621W
Conceptions under 16 by outcome and age for health regions 1992–2000 Number of conceptions Number of conceptions leading to maternity Number at conceptions leading to abortion Age at conception Age at conception Age at conception Under 14 14 15 Under 14 14 15 Under 14 14 15 Year of conception and health region* 1992 Northern & Yorkshire 53 236 796 25 113 472 28 123 324 Trent 46 187 659 14 86 364 32 101 295 West Midlands 51 199 674 19 93 356 32 106 318 North West 41 248 765 22 120 465 19 128 300 Eastern 26 139 406 10 52 182 16 87 224 London 48 225 594 19 104 291 29 121 303 South East 45 186 647 19 64 334 26 122 313 South West 32 115 329 11 50 169 21 65 160 Wales 21 97 352 8 48 197 13 49 155 1993 Northern & Yorkshire 57 275 780 20 103 442 37 172 338 Trent 42 225 606 18 95 328 24 130 278 West Midlands 45 228 644 24 119 369 21 109 275 North West 55 261 786 23 128 447 32 133 339 Eastern 25 161 377 10 64 180 15 97 197 London 54 200 613 26 89 293 28 111 320 South East 41 191 634 19 69 281 22 122 353 South West 28 128 346 15 44 170 13 84 176 Wales 21 105 339 10 50 207 11 55 132 1994 Northern & Yorkshire 69 303 837 27 150 485 42 153 352 Trent 48 235 624 23 97 345 25 138 279 West Midlands 50 247 733 25 100 405 25 147 328 North West 62 264 800 24 118 462 38 146 338 Eastern 21 146 409 8 56 197 13 90 212 London 66 243 656 28 90 299 38 153 357 South East 35 243 647 16 84 324 19 159 323 South West 23 133 396 8 51 177 15 82 219 Wales 23 124 358 8 58 210 15 66 148 1995 Northern & Yorkshire 53 271 923 19 135 559 34 136 364 Trent 35 214 673 10 113 413 25 101 260 West Midlands 48 239 711 25 125 413 23 114 298 North West 47 235 821 17 114 463 30 121 358 Eastern 36 130 442 10 52 214 26 78 228 London 74 232 713 30 101 338 44 131 375 South East 39 238 729 16 102 351 23 136 378 South West 25 133 423 10 56 202 15 77 221 Wales 25 142 400 13 80 237 12 62 163 1996 Northern & Yorkshire 60 317 887 32 152 503 28 165 384 Trent 58 210 790 19 88 463 39 22 327 West Midlands 57 225 821 22 99 427 35 126 394 North West 54 256 921 21 123 525 33 133 396 Eastern 25 137 485 11 51 258 14 86 227 London 71 278 823 35 105 369 36 173 454 South East 57 225 810 25 75 417 32 150 393 South West 39 160 447 13 68 237 26 92 210 Wales 30 153 461 14 77 269 16 76 192 1997 Northern & Yorkshire 57 309 907 28 137 535 29 172 372 Trent 34 217 647 15 117 343 19 100 304 West Midlands 52 239 721 22 96 360 30 143 361 North West 45 245 781 19 111 424 26 134 357 Eastern 25 149 457 9 57 238 16 92 219 London 57 285 799 20 115 366 37 170 433 South East 47 262 774 19 111 407 28 151 367 South West 34 142 422 15 64 218 19 78 204 Wales 14 116 434 2 58 258 12 58 176
Conceptions under 16 by outcome and age for health regions 1992–2000 Number of conceptions Number of conceptions leading to maternity Number at conceptions leading to abortion Age at conception Age at conception Age at conception Under 14 14 15 Under 14 14 15 Under 14 14 15 1998 Northern & Yorkshire 63 301 856 26 134 461 37 167 395 Trent 56 241 672 26 108 358 30 133 314 West Midlands 56 227 752 18 87 368 38 140 384 North West 39 263 826 21 108 439 18 155 387 Eastern 28 156 451 13 57 223 15 99 228 London 64 280 808 25 110 351 39 170 457 South East 54 236 773 17 98 362 37 138 411 South West 35 144 474 10 53 228 25 91 246 Wales 28 140 429 14 66 242 14 74 187 1999 Northern & Yorkshire 53 260 806 23 132 403 30 128 403 Trent 39 204 623 14 89 311 25 115 312 West Midlands 49 206 635 22 86 339 27 120 296 North West 50 258 826 21 106 437 29 152 389 Eastern 27 145 455 11 58 209 16 87 246 London 71 257 730 31 99 325 40 158 405 South East 63 256 737 28 98 337 35 158 400 South West 28 161 469 10 59 232 18 102 237 Wales 26 119 392 14 58 210 12 61 182 2000 Northern & Yorkshire 43 250 805 18 119 408 25 131 397 Trent 40 181 590 18 75 310 22 106 280 West Midlands 49 234 709 21 104 342 28 130 367 North West 38 229 840 21 98 430 17 131 410 Eastern 30 153 430 11 63 185 19 90 245 London 87 303 856 24 105 340 63 198 516 South East 47 268 792 22 113 348 25 155 444 South West 40 153 450 16 59 215 24 94 235 Wales 21 119 354 10 54 200 11 65 154 * Boundaries as at 1 April 2001 Source: Office for National Statistics
Background note:
1. Boundaries are for health regions as defined at 1 April 2001. This is a consequence of the absence of postcode on the electronic records for abortions prior to 1992.
2. The wording of the question is ambiguous in that year of age could relate either to the age at which events occurred or to conceptions at each age leading to an abortion or a maternity. For consistency, we have chosen the latter interpretation since it provides the two components of conceptions at each age.
3. To prevent disclosure and preserve the confidentiality of individuals figures for under 14 have not been disaggregated.
4. This question was originally asked of the Secretary of State for Health on 15 January 2002 The Department of Health transferred it to ONS on 1 March 2002.
5. Numbers of conceptions are estimated from registrations of births and notifications of abortions. Miscarriages before the 24th week of gestation are not included.