Teenage Pregnancy Strategy

EDM number 916 in 2003-04, proposed by Jim Dobbin on 25/03/2004.

That this House notes the persistent warnings of Family and Youth Concern that easily available contraception and abortion have not reduced conceptions among under-age girls anywhere in the world; notes that these warnings have been supported by the fundings of academic research by Professor David Paton of Nottingham University Business School and others; notes that the provisional figures for England for 2002 show a rise in conceptions among women under 18 despite the widely publicised Teenage Pregnancy Strategy through which contraception and abortion, including over-the-counter provision of the morning after pill, are freely distributed to teenage girls; notes that while the rise amounts to only 0.7 per cent. on a national scale, the increase is far higher in flagship areas which the Department of Health recognises as examples of best practice; further notes that these include Torbay where the increase amounts to 22.4 per cent. since 2001, Cornwall with an increase of 16.4 per cent. and Oxfordshire with an increase of 7.3 per cent.; notes that Government officials also appear to fail to take account of the tragedy of sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia which now infects one in 10 sexually active young women, who also account for 66 per cent. of gonorrhoea cases and 62 per cent. of syphilis cases; and calls upon the Government to reconsider its policies with regard to teenage pregnancies.

This motion has been signed by a total of 29 MPs.