Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 23 March (HL15674), on the basis of what data they conclude "the vast majority of births in England are safe" when the Care Quality Commission have previously identified two-thirds of England’s maternity units as substandard.

Data from the Office of National Statistics, Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK, and Imperial College London show that death and serious harm in maternity care are relatively rare.

Data from the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit’s national survey of maternal health and wellbeing shows that 84% of women reported satisfaction with their care during pregnancy, labour, and childbirth.

However, we are not complacent and know we must continue to drive improvement. Baroness Amos’ independent investigation into maternity and neonatal care will help us understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care. Her final report, including one coherent single set of national recommendations, will be published in June. We have also launched the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, which will address the investigation’s final recommendations, tackling the recurrent systemic issues identified in the interim report, and hold the system to account for improving outcomes and experiences for women, babies and families, and staff experiences.