Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2014, Official Report, column 611W, on abortion, how many of the forms returned to registered medical practitioners are pending completion; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that evidence of breaches of the Abortion Act 1967 is referred to the relevant authorities.

The Department has recently issued guidance to help clinicians comply with the requirements of the Abortion Act, including their obligations with regard to the completing of HSA4 forms.

Incorrectly filled in HSA4 forms are returned to the terminating practitioner by the Department of Health until such information is corrected. Establishing the number of forms returned between 2009 and 2013 still pending completion can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.