Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to assess the effectiveness of the Maternity Disparities Taskforce.

The Maternity Disparities Taskforce brings together experts from across the health system, the Government, and the voluntary sector to explore and consider evidence-based interventions to tackle disparities in maternity outcomes and experience.

The taskforce is currently focused on developing a targeted pre-pregnancy toolkit which will encourage healthy behaviours and planning for pregnancy, by supporting women to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing. Once rolled out, the toolkit will be assessed for effectiveness against its aims.