To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will assess the merits of reducing the time limit for abortions under the Abortion Act 1967. (99207)

It has long been the parliamentary convention that proposals for changes in the law on abortion have come from Back-Bench Members and that decisions are made on the basis of free votes. The Government believe this should still be the case. It is therefore a matter for Parliament to decide whether the current time limit should be changed. The Government have no plans to change the law on abortion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed on pregnancies of (a) under nine weeks, (b) nine to 12 weeks, (c) 13 and 16 weeks, (d) 17 to 19 weeks, (e) 20 weeks, (f) 21 weeks, (g) 22 weeks, (h) 23 weeks and (i) 24 weeks and over in each of the last five years. (99870)

The information requested is set out in the following table.