Toilet-training: Support for Parents

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle Excerpts

Monday 5th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

The voluntary community and faith sector are absolutely critical in this agenda. The whole basis of the Best Start family hubs model is to bring together all the relevant people in an integrated, coherent way, increasing communication and making sure that everyone who has a contribution to make is able to do so, putting children at the centre of everything that we do.

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)]

With increasing knowledge of the health impacts of microplastics and nanoplastics, and children facing a lifetime of an environment increasingly choked with plastics and other noxious substances, are the Government taking that into consideration when considering policy in the area raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Freeman? What are the Government doing to support parents to move towards reusable nappies rather than single-use?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

The whole basis of the policy is that local is best and that these programmes are run through the local communities. I do not have the specific answers that the noble Baroness asks for, but all these considerations need to be taken into account. We need a holistic approach. People will be motivated by different aspects, and we need to bring that into the conversation so that we can make as much progress as we possibly can.