To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what action he will take to ensure that Belfast Health and Social Care Trust will adhere to NICE guidelines which stipulate that people should receive three courses of fertility treatment.

Northern Ireland aspires to provide the full three cycles of fertility treatment as recommended by NICE however financial constraints currently make this unachievable. The current provision of one publicly funded cycle of treatment is comparable to many other areas of the United Kingdom.

I have recently announced an additional £1.5m recurrent funding for fertility services. This, in addition to an investment of £800k in a waiting list initiative, means that no patient will now wait more than 12 months for treatment from being placed on a waiting list. It is hoped that it will also be possible to introduce a cycle of Frozen Embryo Transfer in addition to the currently funded stimulated cycle of treatment where this is appropriate.