Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 20 May 2022 to Question 604 and of 23 May 2022 to Question 2703, which stated that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists were reviewing the latest evidence on fetal pain and fetal awareness, whether her Department has taken steps to help ensure that there is no conflict of interest in their guidelines.

The Department has not done so. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is an independent organisation, responsible for producing clinical guidelines which set standards for high quality women’s healthcare.