Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that private abortion clinics are registered; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that deregistered clinics cease operation.

Independent healthcare clinics are only able to carry out termination of pregnancy services if they are registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out that regulated activity and are approved by the Secretary of State for Health to perform abortions. It is unlawful for an independent provider to carry out termination of pregnancy without the approval of the Secretary of State. Any evidence of this happening would be reported to the police for investigation.