Start for Life Services

14. What steps he is taking to extend Start for Life services to South Cambridgeshire constituency.

We believe that every child deserves the best start in life. Due to the challenging fiscal context, we are initially prioritising family hubs and Start for Life funding to areas of high deprivation. We will consider the case for extension to South Cambridgeshire in future financial years.

We know how important the best start in life is for opportunities for all. Only half upper-tier local authorities currently receive prioritised Start for Life and family hub funding—78 do not. In South Cambridgeshire, officers are doing huge work to provide support and signposting without dedicated funding, which means that babies, young parents and young families do not receive the full benefits. Will the Minister commit, in the next spending review, to extending these services across the whole of England?

Local authorities were pre-selected using the income deprivation affecting children index average rank scores, with a rural and urban weighting applied. Tackling child inequalities in health and outcomes is crucial. As resources allow, it is the ambition of the Government to ensure that Start for Life services reach every child.