Abortion

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Excerpts

Thursday 11th October 2012 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, in 2011 in England and Wales there were 189,931 abortions. On the question of repeat abortions, I can tell my noble friend that there is a mildly encouraging statistic in that the number in the very young is going down. I am happy to write to my noble friend with further particulars.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean]

My Lords, is not the issue here the concern about late abortions at 24 weeks when children are possibly coming to a point of independent viability? Can the Minister tell us the most recent statistics for abortions that take place between 23 and 24 weeks, as it is the issue of late abortions that is causing so much concern?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, 91% of abortions in England and Wales were carried out at under 13 weeks’ gestation and 78% were at under 10 weeks’ gestation. The under-10 weeks’ percentage has risen since 2002, when the figure was 57%. Returning to the question asked by my noble friend Lord Elton, the proportion of repeat abortions for all women having abortions in 2011 was 36%, which is slightly higher than the previous year; 26% of women aged under 25 undergoing abortion had had one or more previous abortions, which was slightly higher than the proportion in 2010.