Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to renew the National Maternity Safety Ambition at the end of 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our commitment to set an explicit target to close the black and Asian maternal mortality gaps has not wavered. Addressing the shocking inequalities that exist across maternity and neonatal services is fundamental to ensuring that all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care.
We are working closely with NHS England, and the wider sector, to identify the right actions and interventions to tackle the stark inequalities that exist. The Government is committed to setting an explicit target to close the black and Asian maternal mortality gap. We are ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach, and that any targets set are women and baby centred.
It is vital that the system is supported with the right actions to meet any target or ambition set. This is why, through the national investigation and taskforce, we will work with families and stakeholders to develop further actions to meet our ambitions.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a comparative assessment of neonatal death rates in (a) the UK and (b) other European countries in the last ten years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The United Kingdom neonatal mortality rate for babies after at least 24 weeks of pregnancy decreased between 2013 and 2020, before rising in 2021 and 2022 and falling slightly in 2023.
This is similar to the trend across Europe, where rates generally decreased or fluctuated about a similar level between 2015 to 2019.
In 2019, the UK neonatal mortality rate was slightly higher than the median across Europe.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to establish routine data collection on miscarriages.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
An update to digital record standards on maternity means that the National Health Service is now able to record the pregnancy outcome for any woman, including miscarriage, where they have been in contact with NHS maternity services.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support families who have experienced baby loss in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust and West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust all provide seven-day maternity bereavement care, meaning women and families can access support from a maternity professional trained in specialist bereavement care.
Watford General Hospital has a team of midwives who provide families with individualised support and specialist bereavement care when faced with the death of their baby. The hospital has also opened the Rose Room, a special space for families who experience the loss of a baby to spend time with their baby and begin to process their grief. There are facilities for families and siblings, including hand and foot casting services, to provide lasting memories.
The Hertfordshire Perinatal Trauma and Loss Care service is a psychology-led, county-wide specialist service for people who are experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties as a direct result of a perinatal loss of any kind, including loss by separation through safeguarding processes.
The charity Petals is also now able to provide specialist counselling support to bereaved parents who are Hertfordshire residents, no matter where their maternity care was delivered.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of mandatory training requirements for food handlers in businesses serving the public on increasing awareness of (a) allergens, (b) gluten-free diets and (b) other food hygiene regulations for people with coeliac disease.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under United Kingdom law, food business operators must ensure that staff training is appropriate to the type of food handled, including high-risk foods such as those containing allergens or gluten. While there is no standalone legal requirement for allergen-specific training, the Food Standards Agency provides free online allergy training, allergen guidance for food businesses, and technical guidance on food allergen labelling, which includes gluten-free considerations.
While food allergen training is the responsibility of the food business operator, local authorities assess its adequacy during inspections to ensure compliance with allergen management requirements.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to ensure that people no longer eligible for covid-19 vaccines under the the Flu and Covid-19 Seasonal Vaccination Programme are able to receive them if they wish; and whether his Department plans to make covid-19 vaccinations available privately for people not eligible through the NHS.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is the independent expert committee which reviews the latest data on COVID-19 risks, vaccine safety, and effectiveness and advises the department on the approach to vaccination and immunisation programmes.
The aim of the COVID-19 immunisation programme is to prevent serious disease, namely hospitalisation and/or mortality, arising from COVID-19. Population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged. The focus of the JCVI-advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed. These are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality.
On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on who should be offered vaccination in autumn 2025. On 26 June 2025, the Government decided, in line with this advice, that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in autumn 2025 to the following groups:
- adults aged 75 years and over;
- residents in a care home for older adults; and
- individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the UK Health Security Agency Green Book.
There are no plans to offer vaccination through the national programme outside these JCVI-advised groups for autumn 2025. Some private providers currently offer COVID-19 vaccination, and whether to provide vaccination privately is a matter for the companies concerned.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of conducting a national safeguarding review into the protection of disabled dependents when their sole carer is incapacitated.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Any form of abuse or neglect is unacceptable, and the Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need.
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a statutory duty to make enquiries about safeguarding concerns and support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 also requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for unpaid carers.
The Carer Contingency Campaign Pack: Supporting Carers and Strengthening Local Care Systems, developed by the Carers Trust with NHS England and the Health and Wellbeing Alliance, helps local carer organisations to implement Carer Contingency Plans, which are structured protocols ensuring care continuity when the carer is unexpectedly unavailable. Unpaid carers can be supported to create contingency plans to ensure the person they care for continues receiving support if they are suddenly unavailable. It includes practical tools, good practice examples, and guidance on emergency planning.
We have launched an independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Casey. The Commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.
The Commission's Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define its remit to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including the safeguarding of those receiving care if the Commission sees fit.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase funding for newly qualified nurse positions in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 11 August 2025, the Government announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives. The guarantee will ensure that there are enough positions for every newly qualified nurse in England. The package of measures will unlock thousands of jobs and will ensure that thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for National Health Service trusts, creating opportunities for graduates and ensuring a seamless transition from training to employment.
These new measures aim to tackle graduates’ concerns about job availability and ensure the NHS has the right staff to provide the best possible care to patients everywhere.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide support for people with postural tachycardia syndrome in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Improving health outcomes for everyone living with a long-term condition, including postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), is a key part of the Government's mission to build an NHS fit for the future.
People with PoTS can access a variety of NHS services, which are locally commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are responsible for ensuring that their local area has appropriate services in place to meet the needs of their population, including those in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Many patients can be diagnosed and managed effectively within primary care. In complex cases, or where patients do not respond to initial treatment, patients may be referred to specialised cardiology or neurology services.
At a national level, NHS England has made available additional support. This includes a focus on healthy working environments, tools and resources to support line managers to hold meaningful conversations with staff to discuss their wellbeing, and emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.
The three shifts outlined in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with PoTS, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to update regulations on the (a) composition, (b) marketing and (c) labelling of commercial (i) infant and (ii) toddler foods.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influence many aspects of wellbeing in later life.
The Government has published voluntary industry baby food guidelines as part of our comprehensive strategy to give children the best start in life. The guidelines challenge businesses to reduce the levels of salt and sugar in commercial baby food and drink products aimed at those aged up to 36 months. The guidelines also set out voluntary labelling actions for industry, in addition to reinforcing legislative requirements around labelling and health and nutrition claims. This will help to support parents and carers to make informed choices about what to feed their children.
Businesses have 18 months from the publication of these guidelines, therefore by February 2027, to deliver the required changes. We will monitor industry progress towards implementing the sugar, salt, and labelling guidelines.
It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we also have regulations in place that set nutritional, compositional, and labelling standards for commercial baby food. These ensure that commercial baby foods are suitable for infants and young children and require businesses to ensure labelling is clear and not misleading. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy.
The Best Start in Life health website has advice for parents and carers on successful weaning of infants to introduce healthy solid foods, and is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/
It has been updated to provide new advice on shop-bought baby food and healthy weaning practices. The update has been made in light of the increased availability and range of commercial baby food products, highlighting the need for clear and consistent advice for parents and carers.
We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure that the composition of infant food and drinks reflects the latest scientific advice and dietary guidelines. The voluntary industry baby food guidelines should support improvements in this area.