asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of women are left without a midwife in attendance during any time of their labour and delivery. [[HL3637]

This information is not collected centrally. Responsibility for the organisation of maternity services lies with individual National Health Service trusts, taking into account the needs of the local population, evidence of effectiveness and available, resources. We would however expect that an. appropriately qualified practitioner would be in attendance at the time of delivery and support the Audit Commission's recommendation that clinicians and managers in NHS trusts should ensure that women are not left without professional support in labour when they need or want it.