Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding was made available to West Mercia Police from the special grant to investigate maternity deaths and potential misconduct at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust in each of the last three years; and what funding from that grant she plans to make available for the same purpose for the next three years.

The Home Office has provided West Mercia Police with Special Grant funding of £1.9m in 2022-23, £1.9m in 2023-24, and has agreed to provide up to £1.8m in 2024-25, for Operation Lincoln.

The Department will consider requests from West Mercia Police for future years when received, in line with the annual Special Grant process.