Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life

Baroness Thornton Excerpts

Monday 7th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

Yes, at the moment, one-third of children arrive with the lack of development to succeed. That is exactly why families will have an important role to play in the development, and parental support will be an important part of the services offered.

[Baroness Thornton (Lab)]

At the moment, family hubs can provide language support for parents from two years through the home learning scheme. Will the Government consider ensuring that that policy covers children from birth? A great deal of good can be done, as many noble Lords have said, for children’s language development from the earliest possible time.

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

It is certainly a very important part of what we would hope to deliver, both in best start hubs and in early years, as we improve the ability and provision there to ensure that children have the language skills that they need from the earliest possible time. I shall certainly pass on my noble friend’s exhortations about that to the team developing this work.