Written questions by Hayes.

What steps she is taking within the Best Start Family Hub programme to ensure that the new centres enhance local opportunities to access good quality play.

From April 2026, Best Start Family Hubs will continue to provide universal and targeted services for families from pregnancy through age five and beyond. These include peer support sessions, stay-and-play activities, parent champions, and community outreach, all of which help build strong relationships, promote early bonding, and support development from birth.Community-based activities such as stay-and-play sessions and parenting groups are a vital part of this offer, helping to reduce isolation, build parental confidence and promote early learning through play and shared experiences.

Which services are set to be delivered by the Government’s new Best Start Family Hubs.

The Best Start Family Hubs programme will fund all local authorities in England to deliver services to support ages 0 to 5, with more funding for parent and home learning environment evidence-based interventions for ages 3 to 4, while retaining support for ages 0 to 19. Funding will improve outreach and introduce a new role to identify children with special educational needs and disabilities. Hubs will involve parents in decision-making, be open to all, and focus on disadvantaged communities. Professionals across local teams will collaborate, and a new digital hub will be created to support all parents. The initiative aims to strengthen early years support and accessibility nationwide.

What proportion of funding for new Best Start Family Hubs is classified as capital spending.

​​Ensuring every child has the best start in life, the chance to achieve and to thrive, is the cornerstone of the government’s Opportunity Mission.​Capital allocations will be announced in due course.

What learnings she has made from existing best practice in the design of the new programme of Best Start Family Hubs.

Drawing on existing best practice, we are delivering Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority from April 2026, backed by stronger national infrastructure, new digital services, and a defined core offer.The government is setting national direction for family services with clearer expectations, stronger local leadership, and better data. Every local authority will receive funding to enhance and integrate local support, including evidence-based parental support for early development and language, targeted outreach, engagement programmes, and robust digital services.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including a national enrichment guarantee in the enrichment framework.

The department, working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, has committed to publishing a new enrichment framework by the end of 2025. The framework is being developed alongside a working group consisting of experts from schools, youth, sports, arts and research organisations, to identify and reflect effective practice in schools.The working group will consider how the framework can support equal access and support all pupils to engage with a school’s offer. The department expects the framework to set out benchmarks for high quality enrichment offers and to provide advice for schools on how to plan their offer strategically and intentionally. The framework is still in development, and we are considering all evidence, including examples of what works for a range of different schools.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of care home fees on self-funding residents.

The majority of care homes are in the independent sector and are free to set their fees as they see fit. The Department does not have the powers to set or recommend the level of fees that a private care home can charge, as this is a commercial decision for a care provider. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers. We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care, including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

What steps he is taking to help reduce the impact of care costs for self funding care home residents.

The majority of care homes are in the independent sector and are free to set their fees as they see fit. The Department does not have the powers to set or recommend the level of fees that a private care home can charge, as this is a commercial decision for a care provider. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers. We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care, including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

What estimate she has made of the minimum beneficial amount of enrichment activity for children.

The department, working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, has committed to publishing a new enrichment framework by the end of 2025. The framework is being developed alongside a working group consisting of experts from schools, youth, sports, arts and research organisations, to identify and reflect effective practice in schools.The working group will consider how the framework can support equal access and support all pupils to engage with a school’s offer. The department expects the framework to set out benchmarks for high quality enrichment offers and to provide advice for schools on how to plan their offer strategically and intentionally. The framework is still in development, and we are considering all evidence, including examples of what works for a range of different schools.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of enrichment activities on children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The department, working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, has committed to publishing a new enrichment framework by the end of 2025. The framework is being developed alongside a working group consisting of experts from schools, youth, sports, arts and research organisations, to identify and reflect effective practice in schools.The working group will consider how the framework can support equal access and support all pupils to engage with a school’s offer. The department expects the framework to set out benchmarks for high quality enrichment offers and to provide advice for schools on how to plan their offer strategically and intentionally. The framework is still in development, and we are considering all evidence, including examples of what works for a range of different schools.

When next year he expects Baroness Casey of Blackstock DBE CB to report on the first phase of her independent commission into adult social care.

The independent commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, has begun its work on how to build a social care system fit for the future, and will first report in 2026.The commission is independent, and Baroness Casey therefore has the autonomy to decide when in 2026 she reports on the first phase. Work implementing the commission’s recommendations will then be able to begin following publication.

How many existing Family Hubs received funding through the 2022 Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme scheme by council area.

On 25 January 2024, the government published a list of family hubs which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-family-hub-sites. 75 local authorities have received joint funding from the department and the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. As of March 2025, there were 551 family hubs in these local authorities. A further 13 local authorities have received support through the department’s Family Hubs Transformation Fund. As of March 2025, there were 90 family hubs in these local authorities. The department does not routinely collect data on family hubs created by local authorities outside of these two programmes.Data on children’s centres that are in operation is supplied by local authorities via the Get Information about Schools database. A list of children’s centres that are currently open is available to download at: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Downloads.On 2 August 2023, the government published Family Hubs and Start for Life: section 31 grant determination letters. A link to the letters can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-section-31-grant-determination-letters. These letters set out the details of £301.75 million of funding for 75 upper-tier local authorities in England to deliver Start for Life and Family Hubs over three financial years between 2022 and 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to support research into the health needs of trans young people.

In line with the findings of the recent Cass Review, the Government is committed to supporting the development of research that delivers a robust, evidence-based understanding of gender dysphoria and transgender issues, especially where these issues relate to children and young people. The programme of research includes investments in research capacity to enable National Health Service clinicians to dedicate time to research and ongoing service evaluation, and a living systematic review that will provide a regularly updated review of the latest international evidence to inform policy and frontline and clinical practice. These may produce new evidence to help safeguard and improve the health of children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria.The Department, through the National Institute for Health Research, welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including research into the health needs of young people. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

How many (a) family hubs and (b) former Sure Start children centres are in operation in each council area.

On 25 January 2024, the government published a list of family hubs which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-family-hub-sites. 75 local authorities have received joint funding from the department and the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. As of March 2025, there were 551 family hubs in these local authorities. A further 13 local authorities have received support through the department’s Family Hubs Transformation Fund. As of March 2025, there were 90 family hubs in these local authorities. The department does not routinely collect data on family hubs created by local authorities outside of these two programmes.Data on children’s centres that are in operation is supplied by local authorities via the Get Information about Schools database. A list of children’s centres that are currently open is available to download at: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Downloads.On 2 August 2023, the government published Family Hubs and Start for Life: section 31 grant determination letters. A link to the letters can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-section-31-grant-determination-letters. These letters set out the details of £301.75 million of funding for 75 upper-tier local authorities in England to deliver Start for Life and Family Hubs over three financial years between 2022 and 2025.

How many new Family Hubs were established by the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme scheme in 2022 by council area.

On 25 January 2024, the government published a list of family hubs which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-family-hub-sites. 75 local authorities have received joint funding from the department and the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. As of March 2025, there were 551 family hubs in these local authorities. A further 13 local authorities have received support through the department’s Family Hubs Transformation Fund. As of March 2025, there were 90 family hubs in these local authorities. The department does not routinely collect data on family hubs created by local authorities outside of these two programmes.Data on children’s centres that are in operation is supplied by local authorities via the Get Information about Schools database. A list of children’s centres that are currently open is available to download at: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Downloads.On 2 August 2023, the government published Family Hubs and Start for Life: section 31 grant determination letters. A link to the letters can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-section-31-grant-determination-letters. These letters set out the details of £301.75 million of funding for 75 upper-tier local authorities in England to deliver Start for Life and Family Hubs over three financial years between 2022 and 2025.

On what criteria she plans to allocate funding for the new Best Start Family Hubs; and whether this differs from the criteria for the Hubs and Start for Life Programme 2022.

Local authorities were pre-selected in rank order using Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices Average Rank, ensuring a minimum of 25% of local authorities from each Office for National Statistics rural urban classification have been pre-selected for Family Hubs and Start for Life funding.One in three disadvantaged children live in authorities which currently receive no programme funding. This is why on 7 July 2025, the government published ‘Giving every child the Best Start in Life’. This outlines our commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority. The department will provide a start-up grant to local authorities currently receiving no programme funding this year, before full expansion of Best Start Hubs begins from April 2026.

With reference to the Hubs and Start for Life Programme 2022, what criteria was used to allocate funding to establish new Family Hubs.

Local authorities were pre-selected in rank order using Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices Average Rank, ensuring a minimum of 25% of local authorities from each Office for National Statistics rural urban classification have been pre-selected for Family Hubs and Start for Life funding.One in three disadvantaged children live in authorities which currently receive no programme funding. This is why on 7 July 2025, the government published ‘Giving every child the Best Start in Life’. This outlines our commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority. The department will provide a start-up grant to local authorities currently receiving no programme funding this year, before full expansion of Best Start Hubs begins from April 2026.

What steps he is taking to tackle health inequalities in coastal communities.

The Chief Medical Officer, in his 2023 Annual Report, made clear that future health and care needs will vary significantly, with the populations of rural, semi-rural, and coastal areas more likely to experience worse health outcomes.In the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government commits to reducing the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest areas by tackling health inequalities and the social determinants of health.The Department will address under performance in areas with the worst health outcomes, including coastal communities, where access is often poor. National Health Service regions are compiling action plans for each provider in these areas to begin improvements.

What steps he is taking to improve residents' mental health in coastal communities.

We know that too many people living and working in coastal communities are not receiving the mental health care and support they need.The 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country so that the right people get the right support, at the right time. We will invest up to £120 million to bring the number of mental health emergency departments to approximately 85. People will get better access to mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week directly through the NHS App, including self-referral for talking therapies, without needing a general practice appointment.  In addition, the Government is committed to working beyond the health system to create an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, and improves the lives of people living with a mental health problem.

What steps he is taking to improve mental health outcomes in coastal communities.

We know that too many people living and working in coastal communities are not receiving the mental health care and support they need.The 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country so that the right people get the right support, at the right time. We will invest up to £120 million to bring the number of mental health emergency departments to approximately 85. People will get better access to mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week directly through the NHS App, including self-referral for talking therapies, without needing a general practice appointment.  In addition, the Government is committed to working beyond the health system to create an environment that promotes good mental health, prevents people from developing mental health problems, and improves the lives of people living with a mental health problem.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of local LGBT+ youth groups on supporting young LGBT+ people.

Through our work on the National Youth Strategy, we’ve engaged with over 20,000 young people across the country — each with diverse and valuable lived experiences — to better understand their interactions with youth services and their hopes for the future.In May and June, we conducted a series of in-depth ‘Deep Dive’ sessions, including one with LGBTQ+ young people. These were small, confidential discussions designed to create a safe space for more sensitive and honest conversations.Our interim report, Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Nation, will be published shortly, with the full Strategy to follow in the autumn.