(2) what research his Department (a) has undertaken and (b) plans to undertake into the reasons for trends in the abortion rate in England between 2005 and 2006; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what the most recent abortion rate was per 1,000 women aged (a) 19, (b) 18, (c) 17, (d) 16, (e) 15, (f) 14 and (g) under 14 years in the UK; and what forecast he has made of the rate in each of the next 20 years.
No research has been commissioned or is planned in this specific area and no future forecast of abortion rates has been made.
The reasons women seek an abortion are complex and may be subject to a number of different factors. It is difficult to attribute any changes to one intervention or event such as the increased availability of emergency contraception.
Information on abortion rates for residents of England and Wales can be found in Table 4a of “Statistical Bulletin: Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2006”, copies of which are available in the Library and on the Department’s website at:
www.dh.gov.uk