§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will institute an official survey into infertility provision within the National Health Service in Scotland.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Government have for some time recognised the importance of developments in the alleviation of infertility. However, we take the view that we cannot contemplate a review of infertility services in Scotland until such time as consideration has been completed of the recommendations of the Warnock report on "Human Fertilisation and Embryology".
§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what current research is being undertaken into the needs of the infertile in Scotland;
(2) what Government funded research is being undertaken into infertility services in Scotland.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Scottish Home and Health Department is not currently funding any research specifically on infertility services and the needs of the infertile. Some aspects of a current research project on well women clinics may, however, have a bearing on this, and previously funded research on male infertility has been incorporated within the service provided by one health board. So far as Government funded research into more fundamental aspects of infertility is concerned, the main focus of the Medical Research Council's work in this field is the reproductive biology unit based in Edinburgh.
§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what funds have been allocated in the past five years to health boards for the provision of National Health Services for the infertile in Scotland.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythNo separate allocation of resources is made to health boards for the provision of infertility services. It is for each health board to decide within the available resources what priority should be given to the provision of such services.