SPUC calls new abortion figures a tragedy London, -- The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) says last year's England and Wales abortion statistics, just published, are evidence of a national tragedy. Paul Tully, SPUC's general secretary, said: "The 2002 abortion figures for England and Wales show no significant shift in the number of recorded abortions or in the rate of abortions per 1,000 women in their main child-bearing years. "These figures confirm the prediction that, by the end of this year, 6,000,000 unborn children will have been aborted in Britain since the passing of the 1967 Abortion Act. "Furthermore, the government's strategy of reducing recorded abortion by promoting the morning-after pill is not working. On the contrary, unrecorded early abortions caused by the morning-after pill would undoubtedly add many thousands to these figures. "It is a tragedy." The figures can be reached on the Department of Health website from www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0323.htm .