Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will provide additional funding for research into the development of effective interventions to help tackle disparities in maternal health outcomes for black and Asian women.

The Department funds research in maternal and neonatal health through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including disparities in maternal health outcomes for black and Asian women.

In January my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced the first ever NIHR Challenge, backed by £50 million, to task researchers and policymakers with finding new ways to tackle maternity disparities. We expect the funding call to launch in spring 2024.