Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made representations to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology to encourage increased funding for research into preterm birth (a) prevention, b) treatment and (c) long-term outcomes.

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and over the last five years, NIHR research programmes invested in 77 research awards focusing on preterm birth which, across their full duration, totalled £93 million of funding.

In addition, in March 2024 the NIHR launched a £50 million research challenge with an explicit focus on maternity inequalities, including those observed in preterm birth rates. This initiative will increase the evidence base, to drive actions to reduce maternity inequalities and lead to better outcomes for women and their babies.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of maternal health, including research into the prevention, treatment, and longer-term outcomes of preterm birth.