House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 09 May 2008 (pt 0014)

9 May 2008 : Column 1249W—continued

Sudan: Census

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the progress of Sudan’s fifth census which began on 22 April; and what help he is offering to ensure its successful completion. [203830]

Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development discussed progress on the census in their meeting on 28 April with Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor. Officials from both the Government of National Unity and the Government of South Sudan have reported that the census is going well, although there have been some logistical difficulties and some communities have not co-operated with enumerators. Movements in Darfur have spoken out against the census, although initial reports suggest that enumeration
9 May 2008 : Column 1250W
has taken place in many areas of Darfur. At the UK’s suggestion, language in support of the census and all parties’ acceptance of the results was included in UN Security Council Resolution 1812 of 30 April for renewal of the UN Mission in Sudan mandate.

Tibet: Human Rights

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of China to provide access for human rights organisations to monitor the human rights situation in Tibet. [203473]

Dr. Howells: We believe that the Chinese Government should lift restrictions on access to the region which would aid an independent assessment of the situation. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the issue of access to Tibet in his telephone call to Chinese Premier Wen on 19 March. We continue to encourage China to issue an open invitation to all UN Special Rapporteurs to visit China, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Treaty of Lisbon

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with EU institutions on the process of ratification of the Lisbon treaty, including in member states where the ratification process is by referendum; and if he will make a statement. [204730]

Mr. Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has regular contact with EU institutions on a variety of issues, including the Lisbon treaty. It is up to all 27 member states to ratify the Lisbon treaty in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements.

So far, 13 countries have ratified the Lisbon treaty.

Only one member state (the Republic of Ireland) out of 27 member states is planning to hold a referendum. This will take place on 12 June 2008.

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Irish Government on the process of ratification of the Lisbon treaty; and if he will make a statement. [204731]

Mr. Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have regular contact with our Irish counterparts on the full range of European issues, including the Lisbon treaty.

USA: Navy

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of the US naval presence in the Mediterranean sea on the surrounding regions. [202373]

Mr. Jim Murphy: The US naval presence in the Mediterranean has long had a positive and welcome stabilising effect in the region, due in part to the extent to which it has worked together closely with other allies and partners, including the UK.

9 May 2008 : Column 1251W

Health

Abortion

Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what grounds each abortion took place in non-NHS hospitals or institutions at (a) 16 weeks, (b) 17 weeks, (c) 18 weeks, (d) 19 weeks, (e) 20 weeks, (f) 21 weeks, (g) 22 weeks, (h) 23 weeks and (i) 24 weeks gestation in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [204012]

(2) To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what grounds each abortion took place in NHS hospitals at
9 May 2008 : Column 1252W
(a) 16 weeks, (b) 17 weeks, (c) 18 weeks, (d) 19 weeks, (e) 20 weeks, (f) 21 weeks, (g) 22 weeks, (h) 23 weeks and (i) 24 weeks gestation in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [204013]

Dawn Primarolo: The information in the following table shows the grounds for abortions (at 16-24 weeks gestation) that were funded by the national health service and took place on NHS premises; funded by the NHS and took place in the private sector under contract ‘NHS Agency’); and were not funded by the NHS.

Abortions by gestation 16-24 weeks, grounds and purchaser, residents of England and Wales, 1997-2006
		16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23^{( 1)}	24
2006
NHS hospital	Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds except Section 1(1)(d)	459	295	⁽²⁾276	⁽³⁾175	⁽⁴⁾182	⁽⁵⁾212	⁽⁶⁾152	⁽⁷⁾128	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	110	114	⁽²⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽⁴⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁷⁾—	34
NHS Agency	Section 1(1)(a) and other	1,264	1,160	953	837	660	490	383	328	0
Private	Section 1(1)(a) and other	169	138	128	99	90	52	81	54	0
All purchasers	Section 1(1)(a) and other except Section 1(1)(d)	—	—	1,242	1,021	787	573	485	398	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	—	—	115	90	145	181	131	112	34
Total		2,002	1,707	1,357	1,111	932	754	616	510	34
‘—’ Suppressed value where a presented value, if used with previously published data, would reveal a total less than 10 (between 0 and 9). ⁽¹⁾ Includes 24 weeks and 0 days. Note: Previously published data for ‘All purchasers’ for 2006 for gestations of 18-24 weeks is included within this table for reference. The previous publication of these data means that NHS Hospital abortion figures cannot be shown by grounds for 18-23 weeks.

9 May 2008 : Column 1253W

9 May 2008 : Column 1254W

9 May 2008 : Column 1255W

9 May 2008 : Column 1256W

		16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23^{( 1)}	24
2005
NHS hospital	Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds except Section 1(1)(d)	436	264	118	62	37	28	28	13	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	99	121	84	85	149	183	140	102	38
NHS Agency	Section 1(1)(a) and other	1,250	1,069	883	812	644	417	300	175	0
Private	Section 1(1)(a) and other	187	185	136	106	95	72	71	46	0
Total		1,972	1,639	1,221	1,065	925	700	539	336	38

2004
NHS hospital	Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds except Section 1(1)(d)	502	278	132	72	42	25	25	11	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	101	108	106	103	161	163	116	100	41
NHS Agency	Section 1(1)(a) and other	1,251	1,383	1,046	759	542	514	519	300	0
Private	Section 1(1)(a) and other	262	229	211	91	69	76	75	52	0
Total		2,116	1,998	1,495	1,025	814	778	735	463	41

2003
NHS hospital	Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds except Section 1(1)(d)	477	325	176	93	36	19	18	17	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	98	119	109	125	147	149	119	107	41
NHS Agency	Section 1(1)(a) and other	1,235	1,428	1,186	678	522	531	472	325	0
Private	Section 1(1)(a) and other	259	268	234	108	78	80	90	81	0
Total		2,069	2,140	1,705	1,004	783	779	699	530	41

2002
NHS hospital	Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds except Section 1(1)(d)	569	297	186	110	68	23	^(8,12)144	^(9,12)98	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	103	93	115	97	148	161	⁽⁸⁾^(,12)—	⁽⁹⁾^(,12)—	33
NHS Agency	Section 1(1)(a) and other	1,178	1,238	886	578	497	438	446	341	0
Private	Section 1(1)(a) and other	289	308	234	121	69	108	121	94	0
Total		2,139	1,936	1,421	906	782	730	711	533	33

2001
NHS Hospital	Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds except Section 1(1)(d)	530	292	148	98	52	17	^(10,12)95	^(11,12)78	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	72	112	103	103	164	143	⁽¹⁰⁾^(,12)—	⁽¹¹⁾^(,12)—	24
NHS Agency	Section 1(1)(a) and other	1,035	1,096	814	502	391	440	454	308	0
Private	Section 1(1)(a) and other	325	319	253	154	133	123	149	125	0
Total		1,962	1,819	1,318	857	740	723	698	511	24

2000
NHS Hospital	Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds except Section 1(1 )(d)	612	303	193	87	43	21	17	12	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	78	105	128	145	194	146	116	90	22
NHS Agency	Section 1(1)(a) and other	1,021	898	727	417	338	329	337	248	0
Private	Section 1(1)(a) and other	392	345	285	207	135	146	158	125	0
Total		2,103	1,651	1,333	856	710	642	628	475	22

1999
NHS hospital	Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds except Section 1(1)(d)	607	271	187	103	48	39	16	14	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	90	93	118	178	204	122	101	86	25
NHS Agency	Section 1(1)(a) and other	850	822	662	396	310	278	286	239	0
Private	Section 1(1)(a) and other	410	383	318	210	160	152	181	140	0
Total		1,957	1,569	1,285	887	722	591	584	479	25
1998
NHS hospital	Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds except Section 1(1)(d)	600	270	197	77	60	22	20	13	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	77	89	151	176	206	124	101	72	11
NHS Agency	Section 1(1)(a) and other	880	887	643	375	288	284	237	195	0
Private	Section 1(1)(a) and other	434	424	337	204	141	159	161	151	0
Total		1,991	1,670	1,328	832	695	589	519	431	11

1997
NHS hospital	Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds except Section 1(1)(d)	554	286	179	75	38	26	13	10	0
	Section 1(1)(d)	86	111	129	184	211	144	103	61	24
NHS Agency	Section 1(1)(a) and other	781	757	575	320	183	227	210	160	0
Private	Section 1(1)(a) and other	496	456	303	258	146	156	187	144	0
Total		1,917	1,610	1,186	837	578	553	513	375	24
⁽¹⁾ Includes 24 weeks and 0 days. ⁽¹²⁾ Section 1(1)(a) and other grounds is grouped with Section 1(1)(d) for gestations 22 and 23 weeks due to small numbers (between 0 and 9). Notes: 1. Where Section 1(1)(a) is grouped with other grounds all totals for other grounds are less than 10. 2. Section 1(1)(a): that the pregnancy has not exceeded its twenty-fourth week and that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman. 3. Section 1(1)(d): that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.

Next Section

Index

Home Page