Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Sarah Owen Excerpts
Wednesday 3rd September 2025

(1 day, 17 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call the Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee.

Sarah Owen Portrait Sarah Owen (Luton North) (Lab)
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Trauma during childbirth can have lifelong and debilitating impacts. Failing maternity services are felt by all, but especially by families from low-income and ethnic minority backgrounds. In my constituency, where too many already experience health inequalities, Luton and Dunstable hospital’s maternity unit has recently been downgraded to “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission. Does the Minister agree with me that mothers and babies deserve better? What cross-departmental work is taking place to ensure that NHS trusts across the country improve maternity care?

Stephen Kinnock Portrait Stephen Kinnock
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My hon. Friend is campaigning strongly for her constituents on this issue. We are establishing the maternity and neonatal national taskforce, which will develop a national plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care. It will be chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and made up of a panel of experts, and family, charity and staff representatives. I was pleased to learn that my hon. Friend met Baroness Merron in June to discuss maternity care in Luton North.