FALSE – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by FALSE on 2014-06-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the evidence cited in the article An Increase in the Sex Ratio of Births to India-born Mothers in England and Wales: Evidence for Sex-Selective Abortion” by Sylvie Dubuc and David Coleman published in Population and Development Review

Earl Howe

This article is a useful addition to the evidence base around sex selective abortions.

On 23 May 2014 the Department published updated analysis of birth ratios for England and Wales 2008-2012. The analyses by country of birth and ethnicity did not offer evidence of sex selection taking place within England and Wales. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library. It is also available at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/analysis-of-male-to-female-birth-ratios-in-the-uk-2008-to-2012.

The Department will repeat this analysis on an annual basis following publication of birth data and remain vigilant and receptive to reports of such practice.