Teenage pregnancy rates have fallen for the third consecutive year, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics.

Conception rates in under-18s were 3 per cent lower in 2001 than they were the previous year, the statistics show. The total reduction since 1998 is 9 per cent, equating to around 8,000 pregnancies in teenage girls which have been prevented.

Conception rates in under 16s were 4.5 per cent lower in 2001 than in 2000, with an overall reduction of over 10 per cent since 1998.

Announcing an additional £40 million to support the implementation of the government’s teenage pregnancy strategy over the next three years, public health minister Hazel Blears said: "These figures show very encouraging progress towards our goal of halving the under 18 conception rate by 2010."