Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce infant and child mortality in Coventry.

The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, has committed to accelerate action to improve maternity and neonatal care services and to halve the 2010 rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth by 2025 and to reduce the pre-term birth rate from 8% to 6%.

Public Health England is undertaking a systematic review and refresh of the Healthy Child Programme in England.

In 2013, seven cities, including Coventry, were designated ‘Marmot Cities’ in England and received national expertise and support from the Institute of Health Equity and Public Health England. Of these, Coventry was the only city to renew this commitment in 2016 and continue to use the title.