Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has received Suffolk County Council's Best Start Family Hubs plan; and what steps her Department takes when a local authority's plan proposes fewer family hubs than it currently operates.

The department has received Suffolk County Council’s Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH) delivery plan and officials are reviewing the authority’s proposals to ensure they align with the expectations of the programme and support improved outcomes for children and families.

Decisions about the number, location and configuration of family hubs and related services are matters for local authorities, subject to their statutory duties assessment of local need. BSFH funding does not require authorities to maintain a particular number of Family Hubs. Where a local authority proposes changes to existing provision, the department will work with them to ensure that BSFH funding is used to enhance, expand and reshape existing services so that families experience an improved and strengthened offer, rather than maintain existing provision.