Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life

Viscount Stansgate Excerpts

Monday 7th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Stansgate (Lab)]

My Lords, I welcome this Statement, and I positively want to declare an interest. Two weeks ago today, my first granddaughter was born, and since then I have spent many hours holding her and talking to her. I could not agree more with my noble friend when she talks about the importance of early years and early years education. What timetable does my noble friend have in mind for raising the status of early years educators? Does, for example, she have a deadline in mind for the adoption of the professional register?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

May I start by congratulating my noble friend on his grandfatherly duties. He makes an important point about the contribution that parents and indeed grandparents can make to children’s earliest development. That is why, as part of the best start family hubs, we are providing support for parents. We are supporting them to read with their children and grandchildren and helping them with behaviour issues—which I am sure my noble friend’s grandchild definitely will not have. All these things are very helpful. We will move as quickly as possible on the action to improve the recruitment of early years workers with the £4,500 financial incentive and the professional register, both of which recognise the urgency of ensuring that we have the right people in place to deliver the quality of care and education that our youngest children deserve.