HC Deb 09 December 1996 vol 287 c79W
Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is available through the common information core element of the "The Health of the Nation" strategy monitoring programme of the NHS executive as to(a) the number of girls aged under 16 years contacting general medical practitioners for contraceptives and (b) the number of girls aged under 16 years contacting family planning clinics in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and if he will give a breakdown of those figures by health authority. [7834]

Mr. Horam

The information requested will be placed in the Library.

Mrs. Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether it remains his policy not to collect information centrally about contraception and teenage women; and what assessment he has made of the consistency of that policy with the terms of the letter from the NHS executive headquarters dated 12 November to Mrs. Victoria Gillick; [7835]

(2) what assessment he has made of the statement in the letter from the NHS executive dated 12 November to Mrs. Victoria Gillick that common information core data relating to first contacts, including those involving conception rates and contraceptives, is collected as part of the NHS executive's performance management framework. [7836]

Mr. Horam

Some information is collected centrally about contraception and teenage women. I will write to my hon. Friend about this and the letter from the national health service executive headquarters dated 12 November to Mrs. Victoria Gillick.