§ Mr. GalbraithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many women have in vitro fertilisation treatment each year; how many are undertaken by the national health service; and how many in the private sector.
§ Mr. StewartPrior to August 1991 and the advent of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), data was collected on the number of treatment cycles rather than the number of women treated. If did not differentiate between the NHS and the private sector. Figures are as follows:746W
Year Number 1989 456 1990 570 1991 390 The 1991 figures are for January to July only. Data about the number of women given IVF treatment from August to December 1991 will be available in July this year. The HFEA will not be able to give information about the number of women treated by the NHS because of the complexity of funding arrangements.