Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of variation in access to health play services between hospitals and community healthcare settings in areas of (a) higher and (b) lower deprivation; and what steps she is taking to address such variation.

The Government is committed to improving the experience of children receiving healthcare. The NHS and Starlight's Play Well Toolkit is helping local services to deliver high-quality play provision for children, as set out in the answer provided on 22 April in response to Question 127201.

Decisions on funding services are ultimately for local commissioners, but the toolkit supports those decision makers to establish services that are high quality and effective, and NHS England will continue both to promote its use and stress the importance of child-focused care across National Health Services.