Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the cost to the NHS of (a) multiple births resulting from IVF treatment outside the UK for mothers who were refused such treatment in the UK and (b) other multiple births resulting from IVF treatment outside the UK in the last period for which figures are available.

This information is not collected centrally.

The Department has been made aware anecdotally of an increasing number of couples going outside of the regulated sector in the United Kingdom to have fertility treatment, which results in multiple pregnancies. The expectant mothers are returning to the UK to receive their maternity care within the National Health Service.

Multiple births involve higher risks for mothers and babies. Prematurity and low birth weight are the main reason for increased mortality and disability for these children.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has worked in partnership with professional stakeholders and UK clinics over the last 10 years to significantly reduce multiple births in UK fertility treatment through a policy of single embryo transfer.