Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the capacity of (a) universities to train and (b) the NHS to provide clinical placements for the planned 3,000 additional student midwives who will begin their training over the next four years; and what steps his Department is taking to increase that capacity.

Applications for midwifery programmes are buoyant and universities are positive about their ability to accommodate the required growth. Demand for students to study midwifery courses has always been high and there are nearly three applicants for each midwifery training place.

We are confident that nationally the universities and the National Health Service can train and provide clinical placements for this increase and will be working with both NHS Improvement and Health Education England as this expansion rolls out given their individual responsibilities for NHS maternity care and training.