HC Deb 09 January 1985 vol 70 cc501-3W
Mrs. Ann Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list all establishments within the United Kingdom which store frozen human spermatozoa; and for what purpose it is stored at each establishment;

(2) if he will list all establishments within the United Kingdom which store frozen living human embryos, how many are stored at each establishment, and for what purpose they are stored;

(3) if he will list all those National Health Service establishments which have plans to provide, but do not yet provide (a) artificial insemination services and (b) invitro fertilisation services;

(4) what were the numbers of (a) spontaneous abortions and (b) induced abortions which have been experienced by women undergoing fertilisation by artificial insemination by (i) husband and (ii) donor in each of the institutions where such techniques have been available under the National Health Service in each of the years since they commenced operation;

(5) if he will list the total expenditure upon artifical insemination treatments under the National Health Service in each of the years since such treatment was introduced; and what percentage of the total National Health Service budget this figure represents in each of those years;

(6) how many doctors are directly involved in the practice of artificial insemination within the National Health Service; and at which of the establishments offering such services they are based;

(7) for each of the establishments, whether National Health Service or private, which use invitro fertilisation techniques (a) from how many women ova have been extracted, (b) how many ova have been successfully fertilised in vitro, (c) how many fertilised ova were reimplanted in the womb of the woman from whom they were taken, (d) how many of the resulting pregnancies developed to full term, (e) how many of those pregnancies which went to full term resulted in stillbirths, (f) how many of those pregnancies which went to full term resulted in the birth of a handicapped child and (g) how many of those pregnancies which did not go to full term were terminated through (i) spontaneous abortion and (ii) induced abortion;

(8) how many doctors are currently involved in the provision of invitro fertilisation services within the National Health Service at each of the establishments where such techniques are used;

(9) what is the estimated total cost to the National Health Service of the birth of one child whose mother was made pregnant as a result of the use of invitro fertilisation techniques;

(10) in how many of the cases of births resulting from the use of in vitro fertilisation techniques the husband of the child's mother was the child's biological father;

(11) how many of those women who have achieved pregnancy by the use of artificial insemination techniques in each of the years since such techniques were first available already had children;

(12) how many of those women who have achieved pregnancy by the use of in vitro fertilisation techniques in each of the years since such techniques were first available already had children.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

We do not collect this detailed information centrally.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what provision is made for any conscientious objection of National Health Service staff, both medical and non-medical, to being involved in fertilisation of women by artificial insemination;

(2) what provision is made for any conscientious objection of National Health Service staff, either medical or non-medical, to being involved in invitro fertilisation techniques.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

There is no statutory provision, but I am sure that health authorities will respond positively to any requests by staff not to be involved in the care of patients undergoing these forms of treatment.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list all those establishments in the United Kingdom where artificial insemination either by donor or by husband is currently carried out; and how many successful pregnancies have been achieved at each of these centres since they commenced operation.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

We do not hold this information centrally. I understand the inquiry into human fertilisation and embyrology was told that there are about 35 places in the United Kingdom where an AID service is available.