BASINGSTOKE MP Andrew Hunter is calling on local authorities to scrutinise the Department of Health's teenage pregnancy strategy which allows under-age girls as young as 11 to obtain the morning-after pill over the counter without parental consent.

Mr Hunter is one of 30 parliamentarians - Lords and MPs - who say that the Government's strategy for combating teenage pregnancy is not based on proven evidence.

The MP told The Gazette: "We are urging Primary Care Trusts to publish information annually on the numbers and rates of teenagers attending family planning clinics by age and sex, the numbers and rates of teenagers being provided with the morning-after pill by age and the number and rates of teenage pregnancies, abortions and sexually transmitted infections, also by age.

"For many years the Department of Health has encouraged the greater availability of contraception and abortion facilities for the young without parental control, claiming that this would lower teenage conception rates. It has not. We now have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.

"Earlier this year a research paper suggested that making family planning facilities readily available to the young increased sexual activity and pregnancies among girls below the legal age of consent. Other research suggests that easier abortion increases teenage conception rates.

"We are drawing attention to the danger of adopting strategies where there is no clear indication as to their potential success and considerable evidence of the damage they can do.

"There is urgent need for good quality statistical research examining the impact of policy initiatives, such as the Department of Health's teenage pregnancy strategy."