LOOK TO EUROPE FOR HELP WITH TEEN PREGANCY, SAYS LOCAL EURO MP

12.00.00am GMT Thu 14th Feb 2008

A new initiative to curb teenage pregnancy is good news, according to a local Euro-MP, but other EU Members States, as well as EU health initiatives, can provide real help if the government seriously intends to bring Britain's persistently high rates down.

The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Western Europe, six times that of the Netherlands. The West Midlands regional rate of pregnancy in girls aged 15-17 is higher still, at around 45 per 1000 women, compared to 41.1 in England.

Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne is the author of the European Parliament's recent landmark report on social protection and social exclusion and has long campaigned for greater EU cooperation on public health matters.

Speaking today she said:

"Naturally I welcome any new initiative on this sensitive subject but I feel this government too often has an island mentality on issues which affect all EU member States.

"I am not calling for new EU legislation as there is a wealth of experience and best practice already on our doorstep which we should be tapping into; twenty-seven countries can learn a lot from each other.

"Why, for example, does the Netherlands have a much lower rate of teenage pregnancy and what can we learn? Providing more information and options for young women and emphasising the responsibilities for young men and women can, in any case, surely do no harm.

"It is testimony to the government that they recognise that their existing policies have not been effective, but I would encourage a wider European view, which seems to have been missed."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Western Europe, double that of Germany, triple that of France and six times that of the Netherlands (2005 figures).

England had a rate of 41.1 pregnancies in 15-17 year olds per 1000 women in 2005, compared to around 45/1000 in the West Midlands region.

Liz Lynne MEP authored a key report for the European Parliament on Social Protection, Social Inclusion and Social Reality Stocktaking, adopted by an overwhelming majority in November 2007.

This called for, amongst other things, greater equality in access to healthcare and (health) education as a way of combating social exclusion, and increased sharing of best practice among EU Member States as a way of achieving this.

Please find the report here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A6-2007-0400+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN