HC Deb 03 July 2000 vol 353 c39W
Mr. Gerald Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) sterilisations and (b) reversals of sterilisation were carried out by the NHS in (i) 1970, (ii) 1980, (iii) 1990 and (iv) 1999; how many were requested as a result of people getting married or acquiring new partners; and what the total cost to the NHS was in each of those years. [126838]

Yvette Cooper

The following table shows Hospital In-Patient figures for 1980, 1990–91 and 1998–99. Data are not available for 1970 and are not collected on reasons why procedures were performed.

Information is also not available on the total costs to the NHS.

Procedure 19801 1990–91 1998–99
Female sterilisation 16,954 44,904 48,194
Female sterilisation reversal 6,831 1,556 699
Male sterilisation 651 36,670 35,609
Male sterilisation reversal 652 1,745 896
11980 data were collected via the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry which was based on a one in 10 sample of discharges and deaths from non-Psychiatric and non-Maternity NHS Hospitals in England