John Mason MSP (Glasgow Shettleston) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government  how many mothers have been identified as drinking alcohol during pregnancy in each year since 1999, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

(S4W-10299)

Mr Michael Matheson MSP (Minister for Public Health): Data on the numbers of mothers identified as drinking alcohol during pregnancy have been collected on the Scottish Morbidity Record 02 (SMR02) form by Information Services Division Scotland from April 2003. Recording of this information has improved year on year but was not made mandatory until April 2011. It is anticipated that the figures for 2011-12 onwards will be more robust.

Copies of tables holding the requested data have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 54455).

They show the numbers recorded for each component of this variable, the total number of mothers giving birth and the percentage of records that were not completed in each Parliamentary Constituency for years ending 31 March 2004 – 2011. Please note that data for year ending 31 March 2011 is provisional.

Figures for 2011 provisionally show that 3.7% of women reported drinking alcohol during their pregnancy.