HC Deb 14 October 2002 vol 390 cc491-2W
Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to extend the Sun Know-How campaign. [71656]

Under 16 conceptions and abortions: rate per 1,000 women aged 13–15 by area of usual residence1, 1996–2000
Conceptions Abortions
1996 1997 1998 1999 20012 1996 1997 1998 1999 20002
South East GOR 7.2 7.0 6.8 6.7 6.6 3.8 3.5 3.8 3.7 3.8
Hampshire County 5.9 6.2 6.1 5.7 5.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.0
Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 9.2 8.4 8.3 7.7 7.8 4.8 4.1 4.2 4.5 4.4

Under 18 conceptions and abortions: rate per 1,000 women aged 15–17 by area of usual residence1, 1996–2000
Conceptions Abortions
1996 1997 1998 1999 20002 1996 1997 1998 1999 20002
South East GOR 36.5 36.6 37.8 35.8 35.7 16.2 15.9 16.8 16.3 16.9
Hampshire County 33.0 35.2 35.7 33.2 30.7 15.6 15.9 15.0 15.8 14.7
Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 49.0 45.8 47.6 45.6 40.8 19.9 18.9 19.1 17.5 18.7
1Boundaries as at 1 April 2001. 2Figures for 2000 are provisional. 3All figures relate to boundaries at 1 April 2001. Based on these boundaries, Hampshire County excludes Isle of Wight Unitary Authority (formed in 1995), Portsmouth Unitary Authority (formed in 1997) and Southampton Unitary Authority (formed in 1997). Hampshire County therefore comprises the following local authorities: Basingstoke and Deane, East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Gosport, Hart, Havant, New Forest, Rushmoor, Test Valley and Winchester.

A comprehensive, cross-Goverment teenage pregnancy strategy was launched by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister in 1999. This sets a target to halve the under 18 conception rate by 2010 and aims to increase the participation of teenage parents in education and training to reduce their long term risk of social exclusion. Early signs of the strategy's impact are encouraging with figures for 2000 showing a 6 per cent. reduction from 1998 in both under 18 and under 16 conception rates.

The reduction in the under 18 conception rate for the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire area exceeds the national figure with a decline from 1998 of 14 per cent.

Ms Blears

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend for Walsall South (Mr. Bruce George) on Tuesday 16 July 2002,Official Report, vol. 389, col. 210W.