WIREDGOV

Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, responds to figures from the Office for National Statistics, which show that the rate of teenage pregnancies in England has fallen.

"These figures show good progress continues to be made in reducing the number of teenage pregnancies. There is still work to be done, not just to continue this downward trend, but also to do more in areas of the country with a higher rate and narrow the inequalities we see between wards.

"The Government's decision to make sex and relationships education compulsory in schools, something we have previously called for, will help young people to develop healthy relationships, delay early pregnancy, and look after their sexual health.

"However, we are concerned that all this good work could be put at risk by the false economy of government cuts to councils' public health funding, and that the drop in teenage conception rates will be even harder to sustain.

"Getting it right on teenage pregnancy will not only make a difference to individual lives, it will help narrow inequalities and reduce long-term demand on health and social care services."

Notes to editors

1. For examples of how councils are tackling teenage pregnancy, see "Good progress but more to do. Teenage pregnancy and young parents" published by the LGA.

2. Government announced a 9.7 per cent reduction in public health funding between 2016/17 and 2020/21 – which in cash terms is more than £330 million. 

3. Office for National Statistics – Conceptions in England and Wales 2015