§ Alistair BurtTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of local audits of general practice, referred to in paragraph 5.33 of the Government response to the First Annual report of the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy. [72242]
§ Ms BlearsWe have commissioned from the teenage pregnancy strategy evaluation team a national and regional analysis of the local general practice audit returns.
The analysis is due to be completed by the end of the year and will be placed on the teenage pregnancy unit website and I will place a copy in the Library.
§ Alistair BurtTo ask the Secretary of State for Health who his Department consulted before responding to the First Annual report on the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy; and if he will make a statement. [72243]
§ Ms BlearsThe independent advisory group on teenage pregnancy was established to provide advice to Government and monitor the success of the national teenage pregnancy strategy. The group includes a membership drawn from a wide range of individuals and organisations with experience of working with young people and teenage parents. The first annual report of the group set out forty-nine recommendations to Government on the further delivery of the national strategy. The Government response addresses these recommendations to set out a forward action plan for the next phase of delivery.
In addition to the independent advisory group, the teenage pregnancy unit has put in place arrangements to consult and involve the non-statutory sector, faith groups, relevant professional organisations, regional and local teenage pregnancy co-ordinators, young people and parents in tackling teenage pregnancy. The views of these 371W organisations and individuals were taken into account in developing the Government response.
§ Alistair BurtTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the analysis of local audits of general practice referred to in paragraph 5.33 of the Government response to the First Annual report of the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy indicates a change of their policy in respect to the right of conscientious objection by general practitioners to taking part in abortion operations; and if he will make a statement. [72233]
§ Ms BlearsThe Government's position on conscientious objection to abortion remains unchanged. Section 4 of the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, provides that, except where treatment is necessary to save the life of or prevent grave permanent injury to the pregnant woman,
no person shall be under any duty, whether by contract or by any statutory or other legal requirement, to participate in any treatment authorised by this Act to which he has a conscientious objection.This exemption does not extend to giving advice, performing the preparatory steps to arrange an abortion where the request meets legal requirements and undertaking administration connected with abortion procedures. Doctors with a conscientious objection to abortion should make their views known to the patient and enable the patient to see another doctor without delay if that is the patient's wish.
Women screened by the NHS Cervical Screening Programme 1997–2001, England England percentage Age at 31 March 19971 19982 19992 20002 20011 under 301 80.2 80.4 79.6 78.6 77.0 30–49 86.5 86.4 86.1 85.7 84.9 50–59 85.2 83.9 84.3 84.3 83.9 60–64 78.4 76.7 77.3 77.6 77.6 Source: Department of Health Statistics Division 3G: Return 1Based on resident population less recall 2Based on resident population less recall ceased for clinical 3As women may be first called at any age between 20 and the coverage is calculated on women aged 25.