§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has about the outcome of pregnancy following infertility treatment and in-vitro fertilisation, and on the extent to which these treatments may have contributed to the rise in the rates of multiple births.
§ Mr. NewtonThe Department does not collect data on the outcome of pregnancy in relation to different infertility treatments. However, studies are being carried out at the national perinatal epidemiology unit, which is funded by the Department, and at the Medical Research Council which should shed light on the incidence of multiple pregnancies linked to these treatments. We expect both studies to be completed in about a year's time.