Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish a report under section 4 of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 on whether, and if so how, the law ought to be changed to enable or require coroners to investigate stillbirths; what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the absence of a published position on (a) accountability, (b) learning and (c) the prevention of future deaths; and if he will make an assessment of the reasons for the timing of the publication of the report.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to all parents bereaved by baby loss. Bereavement is never easy, but the loss of a child is unimaginable, and we recognise the profound and lifelong impact this has on parents and families.

As I have previously set out in correspondence with the Right Honourable Member, the wider landscape of maternity investigations has continued to evolve since the publication of the consultation on the coronial investigation of stillbirths in 2019 and the factual summary of responses published in 2023.

Most recently, this Government commissioned the independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care led by Baroness Amos. As outlined in the investigation’s terms of reference, it will, amongst other issues, look to consider the potential role of coroners in the investigation of late term stillbirths (37 weeks or later).

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the delay in publishing a decision in this area. It is important that the Government’s published position on coronial investigations of stillbirths is informed by any findings and relevant recommendations the independent investigation makes, and more broadly supports the most effective model for maternity investigation, including on vital issues such as learning and accountability. We intend to communicate our position on this issue after the investigation has published its final report in June 2026.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to reduce the number of job centres.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department continually reviews its estate to ensure it meets the needs of customers and represents value for money, making changes where appropriate. The Department’s Workplace Transformation Programme is working closely with the Jobs and Careers Service to ensure that our physical spaces evolve to support more personalised, modern employment and skills services for customers. This includes exploring new approaches to workspace location, design and partnership working that enhance accessibility, collaboration, and customer outcomes. Any future decisions regarding the Jobcentre estate would be communicated to Parliament in the usual way.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessments she has made of the effectiveness of job centre staff in helping NEETs into work or training.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The government has announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, resulting in a total £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and additional investment to the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.

This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds.

This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through £3,000 Youth Jobs Grants, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for SMEs and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job.

Found: Thornberry (Labour; Islington South and Finsbury) Derek Twigg (Labour; Widnes and Halewood) Sir Gavin Williamson