To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Independent Investigation into East Kent Maternity Services
Thursday 3rd November 2022

Asked by: Robert Courts (Conservative - Witney)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the report of the Independent Investigation into East Kent Maternity Services, published on 19 October 2022; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Maria Caulfield

A written statement to the House of Commons and the House of Lords was made on 19 October 2022 regarding the publication of the report of the independent investigation into maternity and neonatal services in East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Dr Caroline Johnson MP, also made an oral statement to the House on 20 October 2022.

The Department has established an independent working group, chaired by the Royal College of Midwifery and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which will help guide the maternity transformation programme to take forward the next steps from the reports into maternity services at East Kent and Shrewsbury and Telford.

Together with the NHS, the Department will consider actions from both reports to form a coherent national delivery plan for maternity services.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 20 Oct 2022
East Kent Maternity Services: Independent Investigation

"My constituent Helen Gittos, whose healthy full-term daughter Harriet died in 2014, said:

“Too often during pregnancy, in labour and afterwards, rather than being listened to, we were treated dismissively, contemptuously and without a desire for understanding. It is hard enough to come to terms with the death of a …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: East Kent Maternity Services: Independent Investigation
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 15 Jun 2021
Covid-Secure Borders

"It is a great honour to conclude this important debate. We have heard so many wide-ranging and constructive contributions from both sides of the House. I know that everyone in the House is determined to keep this horrendous virus under control, and the Government’s priority is to protect the public …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Covid-Secure Borders
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 15 Jun 2021
Covid-Secure Borders

"The hon. Member is quite right: of course it is essential to make the difficult decisions, to make them quickly and to get them right. I will explain in just a moment how we have done that.

Before I do so, on quarantine measures, the Opposition have called for

“a …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Covid-Secure Borders
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 15 Jun 2021
Covid-Secure Borders

"That does not answer the point remotely; I am disappointed. If the hon. Gentleman is not satisfied with that, let us fast-forward to this year for a real fiesta of inconsistency.

On 2 February, the shadow Home Secretary called for mandatory hotel quarantine for all arrivals. On 23 March, the …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Covid-Secure Borders
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 15 Jun 2021
Covid-Secure Borders

"The hon. Member clearly was not listening to my hon. Friend the Member for North East Derbyshire when he listed all the countries in the world where the delta variant is now becoming dominant.

Let us look at another aspect of the Opposition’s policy, in which the right hon. Member …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Covid-Secure Borders
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 01 Feb 2021
Covid Security at UK Borders

"Let me begin by thanking all hon. Members who have contributed to today’s debate. We must keep this horrendous virus under control so that we can roll out the vaccines as quickly as possible and get back to our normal lives. I do not doubt that the whole House, whatever …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Covid Security at UK Borders
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 01 Feb 2021
Covid Security at UK Borders

"I am sorry, I will not, because I am so short of time.

That is why we acted quickly to suspend all travel corridors following the surge in cases this winter; it is why we recently introduced pre-departure testing requirements, whereby passengers require a negative test before being allowed to …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Covid Security at UK Borders
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 01 Feb 2021
Covid Security at UK Borders

"The right hon. Lady misheard me. I said that Border Force is working towards achieving that 100% check.

However, there is no room for complacency. We have taken additional steps to limit new covid-19 strains entering the country through the use of travel bans. We have banned travel from southern …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Covid Security at UK Borders
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 29 Jun 2020
Covid-19 Update

"I welcome the decisive action taken today and the statement from the Secretary of State. There will of course be some nervousness in the country at large, so will he reassure people that lessons are being learned in real time and passed on to other local areas as they happen, …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Covid-19 Update