UK fertility rate at its highest since 1980  Fertility rates are
at their highest in 25 years due to increases in childbirth
among both UK and foreign-born women, according to government
figures.  More than 150,000 foreign-born women gave birth in the
UK in 2006, making up almost 21% of the total number of births,
according to the first in a new series of annual reports on the
demography of the UK, published by the Office for National
Statistics yesterday.  The current UK fertility rate of 1.84 is
at its highest since 1980 - up from a record low of 1.63 in 2001
- after the fertility rate for women born overseas and British-
born women increased.  Increasing fertility rates, notably in
the 25- to 29-year-old age group, are due to several factors
including changes in maternity leave, tax and benefits for
parents and the impact of recent high levels of international
immigration to the UK, the report suggests.  An unexpected
slight rise in the fertility rate of those in their early 20s,
which appears to have been