§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of sets of (a) triplets, (b) quadruplets, (c) quintuplets and (d) sextuplets born each year in England and Wales since 1970 for which figures are available; and if he will specify, in each case, how many of the pregnancies followed (i) in vitro fertilisation and (ii) the use of drugs for treatment for infertility.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe table gives the available statistics about multiple births. The other information is not collected centrally.
Multiple births to women usually resident in England and Wales Year Triplets Quadruplets Quintuplets Sextuplets 1970 100 1 0 0 1971 69 3 2 0 1972 81 3 2 0 1973 71 2 0 0 1974 60 4 0 0 1975 72 7 0 0 1976 76 4 2 1 1977 68 2 0 0 1978 62 8 1 0 1979 76 6 0 0 1980 91 4 1 0 1981 * * * * 1982 70 6 0 0 1983 89 4 0 1 1984 80 5 0 0 * Not available Notes:—
- (1) The figures include confinements with multiple births at which one or more stillbirths were delivered.
- (2) 1981 figures were affected by industrial action taken by registrars and do not identify multiple births.