Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on (a) renewing the national maternity safety ambitions beyond 2025 and (b) amending those ambitions to include reducing inequalities.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies received safe, personalised, equitable, and compassionate care. I am urgently considering, with my officials and NHS England, the immediate action needed across maternity and neonatal services to improve outcomes and address the stark inequalities that persist for women and babies, including what targets are needed.

This includes consideration of what comes beyond the national maternity safety ambition, ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred and focused on tackling inequalities.