Telford MP Lucy Allan has secured a Westminster Hall debate at 4.30pm on 19 April 2016 to discuss the regional variation in teenage pregnancies across the UK.
Ms Allan called for the debate after the most recent ONS release on 9 March 2016 showed that Telford’s rate of conceptions for women aged 15-17 was 32.6 per 1,000 women, which is above the national rate of 22.9 per 1,000. The rate in Shropshire is 15.1 per 1,000.
Across the UK there is a wide variation with average rates varying from 30.2 per 1,000 in the North East to 18.8 per 1,000 in the South East, and the South West.
At the end of the debate a Minister from the Department for Education will speak on behalf of the Government by responding to the points raised and setting out what the Government is doing on the issue.
Commenting on the debate, Lucy Allan MP said: “I’m pleased to have been able to secure a debate on this important issue. Great progress has been made in reducing the rate of teenage pregnancies, but we are still faced with wide regional variation. Drilling down to why there is such variation is key to tackling this issue and examining the underlying causes.
“I look forward to MPs from across the country setting out what has been done in their constituencies to tackle this issue and hearing how the Government intends to help those areas that have higher levels of teenage pregnancies.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Westminster Hall debates allow for MPs to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a Government minister.
The most recent figures for teenage pregnancies are for 2014 and were released on 9March 2016 and can be accessed here.
Region
Rate of conceptions for 15-17 year olds per 1000
England
22.8
North East
30.2
North West
26.8
Yorkshire & the Humber
26.4
East Midlands
21.6
West Midlands
26.5
East
20.2
London
21.5
South East
18.8
South West
18.8