Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that evidence of breaches of the Abortion Act 1967 arising from incomplete abortion notification HSA4 forms is referred to the relevant authorities; and if he will make a statement.

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.