The number of abortions among girls aged under 14 has risen 21 per cent, new figures have shown.

In 2006 there were 135 abortions in England and Wales for this age group, rising to 163 in 2007.

Among all girls aged under 16, there was a 10 per cent rise, from 3,990 in 2006 to 4,376 in 2007. In the under-15 category figures rose 12 per cent from 1,042 in 2006 to 1,171 in 2007.

The total number of terminations for all age groups was 198,500, compared with 193,700 in 2006, a rise of 2.5 per cent. The figures were highest, at 36 per 1,000 women, for those aged 19.

Nine out of ten - or 89 per cent - of abortions were funded by the NHS, with 57 per cent of those being carried out by private providers under an NHS contract. And 90 per cent were carried out at under 13 weeks gestation, with 70 per cent at under ten weeks.

Abortions involving the use of pills (rather than a surgical abortion) accounted for 35 per cent of the total number of procedures, compared with 30 per cent in 2006. One per cent of terminations were carried out on the grounds that the child would be born disabled.

In 2007, there were 7,100 abortions for women not resident in England and Wales, fewer than the 7,400 in 2006. Of those in 2007, 1,343 were among women from Northern Ireland, and 4,686 were among women from the Irish Republic.

The data will undoubtedly fuel the debate over abortion, with MPs last month rejecting calls to lower the upper time limit, which remains at 24 weeks.

Ann Furedi, chief executive of the charity BPAS (the British Pregnancy Advisory Service) said some women became pregnant despite being careful.

She said: "Women try hard to avoid becoming pregnant when they don't want to become a mother, or aren't able to bring up a child, but unintended pregnancy still remains a significant public health problem."

Ms Furedi added: "Women who are then faced with a difficult decision about a pregnancy need the option of accessible abortion care available to them as early as possible - and as late as necessary.

"The law and medical evidence on abortion has been examined by Parliamentarians and we expect July will bring further abortion votes when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill reaches report stage.

"We hope that MPs will recognise the importance for individual women and society of creating a more fit-for-purpose abortion law to allow women to access the most up-to-date medical care at the earliest possible stage.

"Unfortunately, the existing legal framework can actively work to delay some women from treatment."

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