To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) men and (b) women (i) over 25 years old and (ii) 25 years old and under have had tattoos removed by the NHS in each year since 2000; and how many and what proportion were aged 25 years and under. (284410)

Information on the numbers of tattoo removal procedures carried out by the national health service requested is not collected centrally, as hospital episode statistics do not contain specific or diagnosis codes for tattoo removal.

Tattoo removal may be available on the NHS, according to local primary care trust policies, if a clinician considers that an individual patient’s health requires it.