Conceptions among girls under 16 in England and Wales fell slightly between 2001 and 2002, official figures reveal.

The provisional figures for 2002, published by the Office for National Statistics, showed that pregnancies among under-16s fell 0.4 per cent from 7,903 in 2001 to 7,395 in 2002, the lowest level in 11 years.

However, there was an increase in conceptions among girls under 18. The number of 16-year-olds becoming pregnant increased from 12,259 in 2001 to 12,672 in 2002, while the number of 17-year-olds conceiving went up from 18,795 to 19,283 over the same period.

The conception rate dropped from nearly 46.7 per 1,000 girls in 1998 to 42.5 per 1,000 in 2001, but crept up again to 42.6 in 2002. Just over half the pregnant teenagers gave birth, but most of those under-16 had abortions.

The conception rate among 16-year-olds jumped during 2002 by 3.2 per cent, while the overall conception rate for all women aged 15-44 rose by three per cent.

Ministers have set a goal to halve the pregnancy rate among 15-17-year-olds between 1998 and 2010.

Anne Weyman, chief executive of the Family Planning Association, said: "Tackling rates of teenage pregnancy requires an ongoing commitment from governments across the UK and wider society to help young people make choices about their future that include alternatives to early parenthood."

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