Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life

Leigh Ingham Excerpts

Monday 7th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for identifying the brilliant work that is already going on in his constituency. Through today’s announcement and the “best start in life” strategy, his community and his constituents will see extra investment and more support for precisely the kinds of services he identified. This will be a crucial part of the shift that we make both in education and in health, moving away from treatment to prevention, with more support rooted in communities that it is easier for parents and families to access and that, critically, is focused on delivering the best start in life for all our children.

[Leigh Ingham (Stafford) (Lab)]

Like others, I welcome the ’90s resurgence. With that in mind, how will this announcement coincide commitments to inclusive play in parks? I am sure we all agree that all children deserve a park life.

[Bridget Phillipson]

That was very good. I slightly resisted being drawn into the Oasis references earlier, and now we have moved on to Blur. I will stay out of that one, even though I have my preference.

My hon. Friend is right to talk about the importance of play for all children. It is striking—I am sure she will have heard the same thing from her younger constituents—that many children often do not feel safe to go out of the house and to be on our streets. We absolutely have to tackle that, because it is having a big impact on not just their mental health but their physical health. I would be happy to discuss that further with my hon. Friend.