Written questions by Ellis.

What proportion of eligible families are receiving Healthy Start in Ribble Valley constituency.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start. The number of people on the scheme in March 2025 for Ribble Valley was 104. The NHSBSA does not currently hold data on the number of people who are eligible for the scheme. An issue was identified with the source data that is used to calculate uptake of the NHS Healthy Start scheme. The NHSBSA has therefore removed data for the number of people eligible for the scheme and the uptake percentage from January 2023 onwards. The issue has only affected the data on the number of people eligible for the scheme. It has not prevented anyone from joining the scheme or continuing to access the scheme if they were eligible.

What steps his Department is taking to improve postnatal care services for mothers (a) with mental health challenges and (b) in rural areas.

We are committed to ensuring that women, including those living in rural areas, receive safe and equitable care, regardless of where they live or give birth.NHS England’s guidance sets out that all women who have given birth should be offered a postnatal check-up with their general practitioner (GP) after six to eight weeks. This check-up provides an important opportunity for women to be listened to by their GP in a discreet, supportive environment, and for women to be assessed and supported not just in their physical recovery post-birth, but also in their mental health.For women with, or at risk of, mental health problems, who are planning a pregnancy, are pregnant, or who have a baby up to two years old, specialist perinatal mental health services provide care in all 42 integrated care system (ICS) areas of England. For women experiencing mental health difficulties directly arising from, or related to, their maternity or neonatal experience, Maternal Mental Health Services provide care in 41 of the 42 ICS areas in England, with the last being supported by NHS England to ensure it is up and running as soon as possible.

What assessment his Department has made of (a) trends in the level of and (b) potential impact on health outcomes of maternal rather than direct infant vaccination.

The UK Health Security Agency monitors trends in the level of vaccination rates. Trends in maternal and infant immunisation are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptakeMaternal and infant whooping cough vaccinations are designed to act in different ways, so a direct comparison of effects is not appropriate. However, current evidence is that both offer excellent protection against mortality from whooping cough in infants. For respiratory syncytial virus, there is no suitable vaccine for infants.