Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to confirm the funding settlement for Start for Life services from 1 April 2026; whether that funding settlement will include the (a) increased geography and (b) widened age range of the programme; and whether ring-fenced funding will be allocated to provide (i) parent-infant relationship support, (ii) perinatal mental health support and (iii) infant feeding services.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda for a decade of renewal to create a new model of care to improve the nation’s health. Over the next decade, we will give every child the best start in life by expanding Start for Life services and by integrating zero-to-five-year old’s health and children’s services within communities, with a strong focus on the critical first 1,001 days.

Building on the £126 million funding boost for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme in 2025/26, an additional £500 million will enable Best Start Family Hubs to be rolled out to every local authority from April 2026.

The Government recognises the importance of providing local authorities with certainty on financial allocations and we will communicate outcomes, including grant details and delivery expectations where applicable, with local authorities when we have more information to share.