§ Mr. SpellerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that the treatment for in vitro fertilisation in the South West regional health authority area is available free of charge for patients living in north Devon as it is for patients living in Bristol.
§ Mr. FreemanDecisions about the priority and resources to be given to infertility services as a whole, and the place of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) programmes within them, are matters for district health authorities. They are in the best position to make such decisions in the light of local needs and circumstances.
An IVF service with provision for free treatment has recently been introduced in north Devon, as a joint scheme between the health authority and the voluntary sector.