TEENAGE PREGNANCY TARGET 20 YEARS BEHIND SCHEDULE - BROOKE

12.00.00am GMT Thu 28th Feb 2008

The Government is over twenty years behind schedule in meeting its target to tackle the high number of teenage pregnancies.

Responding to new figures released today on the teenage conception rate, Liberal Democrat Children and Families Spokesperson, Annette Brooke said:

"The Government has only achieved modest progress in tackling teenage pregnancies, as we still have the highest rate in Europe.

"At this rate of improvement, the Government will be twenty years late in meeting its target of halving the number of teenage pregnancies.

"Instead of patting themselves on the back after a very modest improvement, ministers should show some real leadership and ensure that all children receive quality sex and relationship education."

Notes:

1. The figures were released in today's Health Quarterly Statistics:

<http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/con0208.pdf>

2. The Department's 2004 Public Services Agreement is to halve the [1998] rate of teenage conceptions by 2010.

In 1998 the conception rate for people under 18 was 46.6 (per 1000 women in age group), the figures released today show that in 2006 the rate was 40.4.

With the rate declining by an average of 0.775 per year, it will take over 22 years for the rate to fall the remaining 17.1 to 23.3 (half of 46.6).