To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio of midwives to bays was in the delivery suite of Milton Keynes hospital in each shift in the last three months. (167589)

The information requested is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of individual national health service acute trusts to ensure that staffing levels are sufficient and do not compromise patient safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many births there were in Milton Keynes Hospital in each month in each of the last five years. (168047)

I have been asked to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 November 2007:

As the National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question about how many births there were in Milton Keynes Hospital in each month in each of the last five years. (168047)

Figures on live births in hospitals are available from birth registration information. The latest available figures by place of birth are for 2005. The attached table shows the figures requested for the calendar years 2001 to 2005, for the General Hospital in Milton Keynes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to assist Milton Keynes hospital in meeting the Government aspiration of a one-to-one midwife per birth ratio in its delivery suite. (168048)

Local national health service trusts are responsible for the provision of maternity services. This year NHS organisations, including Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, have been required to review maternity services, including an assessment of their workforce capacity. A range of mechanisms are in place to support local recruitment of midwives if needs are identified, for example to enable midwives who are not practising to return to work in maternity services.