The ProLife Alliance welcomes the 1.6% decrease in the abortion figures for 2008, and also the slightly lower percentage of abortions for teenagers.

The long-standing inadequacies of abortion reporting, however, have not altered. The new statistics yet again record incidences of missing ages, missing gestations, missing postcodes, and missing grounds.

It is totally unacceptable that a health procedure, which is illegal if not performed within the full conditions laid down in law, is being reported so inadequately.

We draw particular attention to the issue of so-called sensitive fields, whether related to age of those undergoing abortion or the actual grounds for abortion, where it has been decided to withhold any figures that go below 10.

We note that yet again under Table 9 which deals with abortions for disability, which can be performed up to birth, relevant details of some of the medical conditions for which abortion is being justified are lumped together without any specific identification of the congenital or chromosomal disability in question.

The ProLife Alliance is adamant that there should be full disclosure of all statistics relating to abortion, and after an exchange of correspondence initiated in 2004 was successful under the Freedom of Information Act in obtaining a ruling in our favour against the Department of Health. The DH have challenged this ruling and a Full Tribunal Hearing is scheduled for Friday 29 May, and 1st, 2nd & 3rd of June to determine the issue.

Abortion is a criminal act if not performed within the terms of the Act and no information should be withheld from the public in relationship to abortion practice in the United Kingdom.

The Government should be conducting a full inquiry into the adequacy of abortion reporting, rather than conducting expensive legal procedures to justify further withholding of information.

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