Written question asked by Baroness Cox (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Warner (Labour) on Monday, 19 December 2005.

Abortion

Question: On what basis they reached the conclusion in paragraph 4.10.4 in the partial regulatory impact assessment on the Prohibition of Abortion (England and Wales) Bill that 15,000 illegal abortions would take place in the United Kingdom if the Bill is passed; and whether they will place information to support the conclusion in the Library of the House.

Answer: When developing the partial regulatory impact assessment (PRIA) on the Prohibition of Abortion (England and Wales) Bill officials contacted a range of government departments and stakeholders to get the best possible understanding of the Bill. The number of possible illegal abortions estimated in the PRIA was based on information provided by those stakeholders responding to the consultation and from examining what happened in other countries where access to abortion is restricted or illegal. The PRIA highlights that any outcomes would evolve over time, requiring around five years to become established.

Secondary information