To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives were (a) trained and (b) recruited in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. (133139)

The table shows the number of students who entered training to be a midwife in each of the last three years. The Department does not collect centrally information on how many of these found employment as a midwife.

On 3 April 2007, the Department published “Maternity matters: choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service” highlighting the Government’s commitment to developing and enhancing national health service maternity services and the role of the work force, including midwives, in improving maternity services.