HC Deb 12 March 2002 vol 381 cc991-2W
Helen Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of births were by caesarean section in each health authority in England in each of the past five years. [10016]

Yvette Cooper

I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer her to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 192W.

The statistics are available as national totals, by regions and national health service trusts but not by health authority.

The table shows national NHS hospital deliveries and percentage of caesarean section 1994–95 to 1999–2000.

NHS hospital deliveries
Total number of deliveries (=100%) Percentage of deliveries by caesarean section
1994–95 604,300 15.5
1995–96 592,699 16.3
1996–97 594,500 17.0
1997–98 585,000 18.2
1998–991 19.4
1999–20001 20.4
1 provisional

The last NHS maternity statistics including caesarean section rates was published on the 12 June 2001 showing data by trust. A copy was placed in the Library. It can also be found in Table 36 from the DH website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0114.htm.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets he has for the proportion of babies born by caesarean section. [12606]

Yvette Cooper

[holding answer 5 November 2001]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.

The Department currently does not have any targets for the proportion of babies born by caesarean section. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) are producing guidelines on caesarean section. It is also an area we would expect the forthcoming Children's National Service Framework to address.