Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to monitor the effect of non-invasive pregnancy testing on the number of babies born with Down’s syndrome.

The national evaluative roll out for non-invasive pregnancy testing (NIPT) as a contingent screening test is yet to be implemented into the NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP). Therefore, no information is held on the effect of NIPT on the number of babies born with Down’s syndrome.

Once NIPT is rolled out, data on the choices women make regarding screening and/or diagnosis will be collected. Data will also be collected on the pregnancy outcomes of women who choose to have screening, including babies born with Down’s syndrome.