All weekend the deliberations have been overshadowed by one speck of humanity or, to be precise, the circumstances of its conception. The latest intelligence was gleaned in an interview by the BBC and three European journalists, which opened with a question that reduced the Prime Minister to a blush. But that just sparked another theory from tabloid heaven: that the happy event took place during their weekend with the Queen at Balmoral. FIRST THE BABY was said to be made in Italy, then it was reported to be French. Tony Blair set the record straight yesterday by revealing his wife's pregnancy "probably" began in Britain.

To justify taking those risks there have to be positive clinical benefits to mother and child. In some maternity units the normal delivery rate is as low as 52 per cent And giving birth is a normal physiological process.". Our threshold for doing them is lower because they are safer, because of the threat of litigation and because there is too much foetal monitoring and women are not attended enough in labour."Frances Day-Stirk, head of midwifery affairs at the Royal College of Midwives, said: "As with any major operation Caesareans carry definite risks. There is a slight increase in demand but in general most women given good support don't choose a Caesarean. All the parties involved are unwilling to look at very small risks.

Patient advocacy groups will say that's slanderous but it is very much my perception." The college is carrying out an audit of Caesareans at the request of the Department of Health, which will be published next year.Professor Drife said: "We are concerned that something is happening that we don't entirely understand and we need to discuss it within the college and with other interested groups."His view is challenged by Professor Lesley Page, head of midwifery at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, west London "I don't accept that the rise is being driven by women. "I find it disturbing that in today's NHS women are advised to undergo extensive abdominal surgery for no clinical reason."Professor James Drife, spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians, said the rise was being driven by fear - on the part of patients as much as professionals. If there is a mild abnormality on the foetal monitor women are not willing to take a chance, he said."I, as an obstetrician, can go and say I am 99 per cent sure that [the abnormality] is benign, but the woman says she is not prepared to take that 1 per cent risk. Belinda Phipps, its chief executive, said: "We are not asking for all Caesareans to be stopped. We know that in many cases they are necessary for good clinical reasons. However, in our view rates have reached unacceptable levels and we want to know why."In Cornwall, the Caesarean rate was 13 per cent while in Surrey it was 26 per cent.