A Bill to place a duty on the Secretary of State to ensure equal access to maternity services for people living in rural and coastal areas to those living in other areas, including access to the same range of birthing methods and locations; to require consultant-led maternity services to be available within 45 minutes of an expectant mother’s home; and for connected purposes.
House of Commons
Daisy CooperLiberal Democrat
5 May 2022
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
This bill would require the government to ensure that people in rural and coastal areas have the same access to maternity services as those in other areas, including the same choices about where and how they give birth. It would also require consultant-led maternity services to be reachable within 45 minutes of a pregnant woman’s home. The aim is to reduce disparities in maternity care between rural/coastal areas and the rest of the country.
The bill has completed its first reading and is currently at the second reading in the Commons. If it progresses, it would move on to committee and further stages before becoming law.
Generated 21 February 2026
8 Mar 2022
6 May 2022
The 2021-2022 session of Parliament has prorogued and this Bill will make no further progress.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
