Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the report by Barnardo’s and the Co-op, Deeper Roots, Stronger Futures: unlocking the potential of food partnerships with young people, which found that only 13 per cent of councils involve young people in the strategic design and delivery of local food partnerships, what plans they have to work with local authorities to improve young peoples' involvement in these processes.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Towards a Good Food Cycle, the UK government food strategy for England, published on 15 July, sets out the Government's plans to transform the food system. A UK government food strategy for England - GOV.UK

As we develop the food strategy, we will be considering how we can better support local and place-based initiatives, to deliver the changes needed to deliver our health, sustainability and resilience outcomes. Recognising the interconnectedness and interdependence of food systems across the UK, we are working closely with the devolved governments, including Wales, to ensure alignment with their own strategies. In addition we are working with the Local Government Association to better understand the role of local authorities in supporting resilient local food systems.

Departments across the Government have worked together to agree the outcomes required to deliver food system change. This has been supported by advice from across the food system, academia, civil society, and citizens, and including Sustainable Food Places, Barnardo’s and Co-op.

The Department will continue to work with partners and seek views from across the whole food system. This includes seeking opportunities to capture the views of and listen to people of all ages including the young, the old and those with disabilities whose voices are not traditionally heard, as we develop our approach and plot a route to deliver the outcomes. Everyone, including young people, will benefit from a Good Food Cycle, and a number of outcomes in our food strategy are particularly important for young people, touching on children's health, food education, and jobs and skills in the food sector.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent report by Barnardo’s and the Co-op, Deeper Roots, Stronger Futures: unlocking the potential of food partnerships with young people, what plans they have to engage with those organisations and others, including the Local Government Association, Sustainable Food Places, and Feeding Britain, to promote best practice on food partnerships.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Towards a Good Food Cycle, the UK government food strategy for England, published on 15 July, sets out the Government's plans to transform the food system. A UK government food strategy for England - GOV.UK

As we develop the food strategy, we will be considering how we can better support local and place-based initiatives, to deliver the changes needed to deliver our health, sustainability and resilience outcomes. Recognising the interconnectedness and interdependence of food systems across the UK, we are working closely with the devolved governments, including Wales, to ensure alignment with their own strategies. In addition we are working with the Local Government Association to better understand the role of local authorities in supporting resilient local food systems.

Departments across the Government have worked together to agree the outcomes required to deliver food system change. This has been supported by advice from across the food system, academia, civil society, and citizens, and including Sustainable Food Places, Barnardo’s and Co-op.

The Department will continue to work with partners and seek views from across the whole food system. This includes seeking opportunities to capture the views of and listen to people of all ages including the young, the old and those with disabilities whose voices are not traditionally heard, as we develop our approach and plot a route to deliver the outcomes. Everyone, including young people, will benefit from a Good Food Cycle, and a number of outcomes in our food strategy are particularly important for young people, touching on children's health, food education, and jobs and skills in the food sector.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review how food partnership funding models, such as the local food partnership model in Wales, could be implemented across the UK in a cost-effective manner.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Towards a Good Food Cycle, the UK government food strategy for England, published on 15 July, sets out the Government's plans to transform the food system. A UK government food strategy for England - GOV.UK

As we develop the food strategy, we will be considering how we can better support local and place-based initiatives, to deliver the changes needed to deliver our health, sustainability and resilience outcomes. Recognising the interconnectedness and interdependence of food systems across the UK, we are working closely with the devolved governments, including Wales, to ensure alignment with their own strategies. In addition we are working with the Local Government Association to better understand the role of local authorities in supporting resilient local food systems.

Departments across the Government have worked together to agree the outcomes required to deliver food system change. This has been supported by advice from across the food system, academia, civil society, and citizens, and including Sustainable Food Places, Barnardo’s and Co-op.

The Department will continue to work with partners and seek views from across the whole food system. This includes seeking opportunities to capture the views of and listen to people of all ages including the young, the old and those with disabilities whose voices are not traditionally heard, as we develop our approach and plot a route to deliver the outcomes. Everyone, including young people, will benefit from a Good Food Cycle, and a number of outcomes in our food strategy are particularly important for young people, touching on children's health, food education, and jobs and skills in the food sector.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to engage with the Local Government Association and other stakeholders to support the implementation of food partnerships in every local area by 2030.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Towards a Good Food Cycle, the UK government food strategy for England, published on 15 July, sets out the Government's plans to transform the food system. A UK government food strategy for England - GOV.UK

As we develop the food strategy, we will be considering how we can better support local and place-based initiatives, to deliver the changes needed to deliver our health, sustainability and resilience outcomes. Recognising the interconnectedness and interdependence of food systems across the UK, we are working closely with the devolved governments, including Wales, to ensure alignment with their own strategies. In addition we are working with the Local Government Association to better understand the role of local authorities in supporting resilient local food systems.

Departments across the Government have worked together to agree the outcomes required to deliver food system change. This has been supported by advice from across the food system, academia, civil society, and citizens, and including Sustainable Food Places, Barnardo’s and Co-op.

The Department will continue to work with partners and seek views from across the whole food system. This includes seeking opportunities to capture the views of and listen to people of all ages including the young, the old and those with disabilities whose voices are not traditionally heard, as we develop our approach and plot a route to deliver the outcomes. Everyone, including young people, will benefit from a Good Food Cycle, and a number of outcomes in our food strategy are particularly important for young people, touching on children's health, food education, and jobs and skills in the food sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following their recent announcement to provide funding for Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, what assessment they have made of the case for putting these new services in legislation to ensure that they are recognised as a key public service.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

On 7 July 2025, the government published ‘Giving every child the best start in life’. This outlines the government’s commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services. The department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service over the 2026 to 2029 spending review period.

Best Start Family Hubs will bring together professionals from health, education, early years, and community services, prioritising delivery in areas of disadvantage, where families face the greatest barriers to support. Each Best Start Family Hub will have a children and family services professional specifically trained in working to support inclusion for children with additional needs.

We will also explore whether a more detailed outcomes framework under the Best Start in Life umbrella, drawing on the lessons of Every Child Matters, would improve join up among services locally.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following their announcement that they will develop Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority by 2028, what assessment they have made of findings from previous hub programmes; and whether they will ensure that people will be able to access these services from birth up to the age of 19 (or 25 in the case of special education needs and disabilities) and that they will not be restricted to the youngest children.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

On 7 July 2025, the government published ‘Giving every child the best start in life’. This outlines the government’s commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services. The department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service over the 2026 to 2029 spending review period.

Best Start Family Hubs will bring together professionals from health, education, early years, and community services, prioritising delivery in areas of disadvantage, where families face the greatest barriers to support. Each Best Start Family Hub will have a children and family services professional specifically trained in working to support inclusion for children with additional needs.

We will also explore whether a more detailed outcomes framework under the Best Start in Life umbrella, drawing on the lessons of Every Child Matters, would improve join up among services locally.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following their recent announcement to introduce a Best Start Family Hub in every local authority, whether they will develop an outcomes framework for these services in order to improve the consistency of family support across the country.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

On 7 July 2025, the government published ‘Giving every child the best start in life’. This outlines the government’s commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services. The department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service over the 2026 to 2029 spending review period.

Best Start Family Hubs will bring together professionals from health, education, early years, and community services, prioritising delivery in areas of disadvantage, where families face the greatest barriers to support. Each Best Start Family Hub will have a children and family services professional specifically trained in working to support inclusion for children with additional needs.

We will also explore whether a more detailed outcomes framework under the Best Start in Life umbrella, drawing on the lessons of Every Child Matters, would improve join up among services locally.

Found: This proposal is supported by Baroness Benjamin and Baroness Hollins. + STEPHEN LINCOLN AND MONCKTON85

Found: After Clause 34 BARONESS BENJAMIN LORD STOREY 376_ After Clause 34, insert the following new Clause