The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated January 2009:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the percentage change in the rate of conceptions among girls aged under (a) 18 years and (b) 16 years in (i) Southend and (ii) Essex has been since 2004. (247753)
Available figures are estimates of the number of conceptions that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or legal termination.
Conception rate and percentage change in the rate among girls aged under 18 and under 16 for Southend UA and Essex between 2004 and 2006 (the most recent year for which figures are available), are provided in the attached table.
2004 rate 2006 rate Percentage change Under 16 Southend UA 9.4 9.3 -0.3 Essex County 5.6 6.3 13.5 Under 18 Southend UA 47.4 48.8 2.9 Essex County 30.5 32.5 6.5 1 Rates are per 1,000 female population aged 13-15. 2 Rates are per 1,000 female population aged 15-17. 3 Percentage change is based on unrounded rates.