Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the independent report commissioned by his Department entitled Maternity and neonatal services in East Kent: 'Reading the signals' published 19 October 2022, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of that report's findings; and if he will make a statement.

The Department is reviewing the recommendations made in addition to existing work to improve maternity outcomes and will respond in full in due course. An independent working group chaired by the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has been established to guide implementation of actions arising from the Ockenden and East Kent reports.