Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of (a) trends in the level of and (b) potential impact on health outcomes of maternal rather than direct infant vaccination.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Health Security Agency monitors trends in the level of vaccination rates. Trends in maternal and infant immunisation are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake

Maternal and infant whooping cough vaccinations are designed to act in different ways, so a direct comparison of effects is not appropriate. However, current evidence is that both offer excellent protection against mortality from whooping cough in infants. For respiratory syncytial virus, there is no suitable vaccine for infants.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of opportunities for childcare providers to feedback on plans for the sector.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is working with the sector to create an integrated early years and childcare system that works for parents and gives every child the best start in life.

Childcare providers’ feedback, intelligence and engagement are at the heart of the department’s way of working.

Departmental officials and ministers meet regularly with sector representatives including the National Partnership in Early Learning and Childcare (NPELC), the London Early Years Foundation (LEAF), the Early Education and Childcare Coalition (EECC) and the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) to gather feedback and inform policy development and delivery.

Departmental officials meet regularly with each local authority and ministers visit settings across England to gather feedback from managers, staff, childminders and parents.

Since January 2024, we have been running provider roadshows across England to support the expansion of childcare entitlements, giving hundreds of providers the opportunity to speak directly to policy officials on a range of early years topics.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve postnatal care services for mothers (a) with mental health challenges and (b) in rural areas.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to ensuring that women, including those living in rural areas, receive safe and equitable care, regardless of where they live or give birth.

NHS England’s guidance sets out that all women who have given birth should be offered a postnatal check-up with their general practitioner (GP) after six to eight weeks. This check-up provides an important opportunity for women to be listened to by their GP in a discreet, supportive environment, and for women to be assessed and supported not just in their physical recovery post-birth, but also in their mental health.

For women with, or at risk of, mental health problems, who are planning a pregnancy, are pregnant, or who have a baby up to two years old, specialist perinatal mental health services provide care in all 42 integrated care system (ICS) areas of England. For women experiencing mental health difficulties directly arising from, or related to, their maternity or neonatal experience, Maternal Mental Health Services provide care in 41 of the 42 ICS areas in England, with the last being supported by NHS England to ensure it is up and running as soon as possible.

Found: Broxbourne) Chris Curtis (Labour; Milton Keynes North) Mr Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat; Newbury) Maya Ellis

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Florence Eshalomi (Chair); Lewis Cocking; Maya Ellis; Mr Will Forster

Found: 926487 | Email: sarah.smith.mp@parliament.uk SarahSmithForHH @Sarahsmithlab Sarah Smith MP Maya Ellis

Found: Snell supported by David Baines, Shaun Davies, Dave Robertson, Laurence Turner, Liam Byrne, Maya Ellis

Found: Coyle Mary Kelly Foy Marsha De Cordova Rebecca Paul John Grady Kirsteen Sullivan Sarah Smith Maya Ellis

Found: Paula Barker Siân Berry John McDonnell Clive Lewis Chris Evans Darren Paffey Rachael Maskell Maya Ellis