Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2017 to Question 118932 on Abortion: Childbirth and the response that information on the number of live births following termination of pregnancy is not collected centrally, how data is recorded on the number of babies born live after abortion; and if his Department will publish the data on that matter that is available.

The information requested is not collected centrally. The Department acknowledges that there are limitations with the data currently collected on serious incidents and complications that occur after an abortion. We are planning to examine, with partner organisations, how well these systems are working in relation to recording incidents and complications arising from abortions and whether improvements can be made.