§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has made any decision on the Rayner recommendation that maternity statistics should be collected by a unit outside central Government; what consultations he has had about this recommendation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungThe decision to reject the relevant recommendations—Nos. 31 and 42 in the report of the336W DHSS study team, prepared under Sir Derek Rayner's oversight as part of the review of Government statistical services—was published on 29 April, after consultation with representatives of the NHS and a period during which comments were invited on the study team's report. Copies of the report and the statement of decisions on it are in the Library of the House.