To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the number of illegal abortions based on statistics for maternal deaths, admissions to hospital following septic abortion, prosecutions for procuring illegal abortion and cases known to the police for the periods from 1960 to 1967, 1968 to 1975, 1976 to 1983 and 1984 to the most recent date.
Not all the information is available in the form requested. No meaningful estimate of illegal abortions can be derived from the available statistics on maternal deaths or treatment in hospital for septic abortion.The available information on maternal deaths for the period requested is as follows:
| Number of deaths from criminal abortion in England and Wales | |
| Number | |
| 1961–63 | 77 |
| 1964–66 | 98 |
| 1967–69 | 74 |
| 1970–72 | 37 |
| 1973–75 | 10 |
| 1976–78 | 4 |
| 1979–81 | 1 |
| 1982–84 | nil |
Source: Report on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in England and Wales.
Preliminary investigation shows no evidence of deaths for the period 1985–87.
Information on prosecutions for procuring illegal abortions and cases known to the police are matters for my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary. The available information is given in the table.
Offences recorded by the police for procuring illegal abortion
| Prosecutions for procuring illegal abortion
| |
| 1960 | 221 | 44 |
| 1961 | 245 | 59 |
| 1962 | 406 | 90 |
Offences recorded by the police for procuring illegal abortion
| Prosecutions for procuring illegal abortion
| |
| 1963 | 239 | 62 |
| 1964 | 271 | 80 |
| 1965 | 184 | 77 |
| 1966 | 208 | 65 |
| 1967 | 314 | 61 |
| 1968 | 247 | 75 |
| 1969 | 257 | 57 |
| 1970 | 212 | 52 |
| 1971 | 80 | 34 |
| 1972 | 62 | 26 |
| 1973 | 36 | 11 |
| 1974 | 21 | 8 |
| 1975 | 14 | 1 |
| 1976 | 9 | 3 |
| 1977 | 11 | 4 |
| 1978 | 7 | 3 |
| 1979 | 3 | 1 |
| 1980 | 2 | 3 |
| 1981 | 3 | — |
| 1982 | 3 | — |
| 1983 | 5 | 1 |
| 1984 | 1 | 3 |
| 1985 | 4 | 2 |
| 1986 | 3 | 1 |
| 1987 | 3 | 2 |
| 1988 | 3 | 6 |