§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each district health authority the percentage rate of caesarean sections for all births.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyInformation relating to the method of birth delivery is collected via the hospital episodes statistics system. At present, it is possible only to give reliable estimates at national level. For this information I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 8 March at columns322–23. Work is currently in progress to investigate the possibility of producing estimates at regional level. Some incomplete information on method of delivery at district health authority level is available in the health service indicator package, a copy of which is in the Library.