Written question asked by Jim Dobbin (Labour) on Thursday, 10 March 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 22 March 2005. It was answered by Melanie Johnson (Labour) on Tuesday, 22 March 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the national abortion statistics for 2003 contain less detailed information than in the previous five years.

Answer: Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the national abortion statistics for 2003 contain less detailed information than in the previous five years. [221747] Miss Melanie Johnson: As stated in the statistical bulletin summary, "Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2003", the format of tables changed to reflect concerns over issues of privacy and confidentiality. These issues are now being considered in more detail and we have asked the National Statistician to provide the Department and the new Health and Social Care Information Centre with guidelines for interpreting the national statistics code of practice and associated protocols in the handling of health statistics that balance data confidentiality risks with the public interest in the use of the figures. We expect to receive these in the summer.

Secondary information