Andrew Lansley has given private clinics 48 hours to get their houses in order and private the government with "clear data" about faulty breast implants.

The health secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the "inadequacy" of the information provided by clinics and health providers had concerned the government.

But he reassured women that based on evidence the coalition did have, there was "no case for the routine removal of these implants".

"What I think any woman who is worried should do is talk to their go to their consulting surgeon or to their implanting surgeon and discuss their concerns, explore whether they need any further investigations, for example for a scan, and look at what is right in their individual circumstances," Lansley said.

On Tuesday a member of the government's review looking at the risk of PIP implants rupturing said the panel would not provide firm data.

Consultant plastic surgeon Fazel Fatah said there could be a "significant number" of ruptured implants that the government did not know about.

"A significant number of patients also do not go back to the clinic where they had their surgery if they suffer a rupture.

"Instead, they go to the NHS and are dealt with in the NHS.

"We do not know the exact rupture rate in the UK."