Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce regional variations in the availability of free of charge IVF treatment.

The provision of National Health Service funded in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment services is a matter for local determination. In making decisions on the level of funding, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are expected to take account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guideline recommending that three full cycles of IVF should be provided for qualifying couples. On 10 February 2017 I wrote to the National Medical Director, Sir Bruce Keogh, to ask that NHS England re-emphasise to all those involved in commissioning fertility services that they should have regard to the NICE fertility guideline as it currently stands.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Great Grimsby on 30 January 2017, to Questions 61798 and 61799, in which I set out the work currently underway to assist CCGs to commission fertility services more effectively.