Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on changing the law relating to designation of babies born before 24 weeks' gestation as stillborn.

A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database has identified eight items of correspondence received since 1 July 2013 about the law relating to the designation and registration of pregnancy losses before 24 weeks gestation. This is a minimum figure which represents correspondence received by the Department’s Ministerial correspondence unit only.

Since 1 July 2013, two written parliamentary questions have been received about the law relating to the designation and registration of pregnancy losses before 24 weeks gestation.

I met the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) in April 2014 to discuss the Registration of Stillbirths 2013-14 private members (ten minute rule) Bill. The Bill was also raised by several hon. Members in a Westminster Hall debate about stillbirth and infant mortality on 26 March 2014.