Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for who will deliver early years services, including perinatal mental health support, breastfeeding services and parenting programmes.

The responsibility for the Start for Life period from conception until the age of two rests with a number of delivery partners including local authorities, the National Health Service, and the third sector.

The majority of the £300 million funding announced at the autumn Budget is expected to go to local authorities. However, the Government expects local areas to build on existing best practice in joint commissioning. This will ensure clear accountability as well as more integrated services that benefit families and their babies.

The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education will work together to determine the best approach to allocating this funding and we will set out further details in due course.