Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of group B streptococcus infection were recorded in each of the last five years; and what other data his Department collects on the incidence of such infections. [21084]

Anne Milton MP; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State: This information is not routinely collected by the Department. However, the Health Protection Agency collects data on laboratory reports on blood infections including Group B Streptococcus (GBS). The Health Protection Agency website at:

www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/StreptococciGroupB/

gives the number of reported GBS cases reported by laboratories as in the following table.

            Cases

2004    1,176

2005    1,250

2006    1,442

2007      1,403

2008    1,550

Streptococcus: Pregnancy

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the introduction of routine screening of pregnant women for group B streptococcus; [21081]

(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing a pilot screening programme for pregnant women to test for group B streptococcus and what analysis his Department has conducted to inform this estimate. [21085]

Anne Milton: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the national health service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy. The UK NSC reviewed the policy for screening for group b streptococcus (GBS) carriage in pregnancy in 2009 and concluded that the evidence did not support its introduction.

The UK NSC commissioned a clinical and cost effectiveness study comparing different approaches to GBS. The health technology assessment took this work forward on behalf of the UK NSC and published the results in 2007. The main conclusion was that there was considerable uncertainty on the most effective approach to GBS. The study results were considered during the policy review.

The Department has therefore not conducted a cost benefit analysis or estimated the cost of introducing a pilot screening programme.

The UK NSC will review its policy position again on GBS carriage in pregnancy screening in 2012 or earlier if any significant new peer reviewed evidence emerges.