asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if induced labour is practised as a routine in National Health Service hospitals or only on grounds of medical necessity.

I have no evidence to suggest that induction of labour techniques are used routinely or for non-medical reasons. There are many medical indications for induction where continuation of the pregnancy might endanger the life of the mother or her baby, and it must remain a matter for the clinical judgment of the consultant in charge to decide whether such techniques should be used in a particular case.