Early Years Education
Debate between Baroness Blake of Leeds and Baroness Manzoor
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
My noble friend picks up on an area of enormous debate, including whether the approach that he suggested is indeed the best value for money. I am sure that there are occasions when that is the case, but we need to be careful that we look at providing an education where such additional support is not a 100% requirement. I know there is split opinion on this, and I am sure we will watch it carefully.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, I come back to screen time. There is significant evidence now that, for young children, particularly under the age of five, spending a lot of time on screens actually changes the neural pathways in their brains. We understand that gap and so the Government must start doing something constructive about this now, because it will damage our young children.
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The noble Baroness picks up an important point. We know how important ages nought to five are in development, particularly of the brain, and going forward. As I said, the evidence on this is emerging and good practice is coming forward. It is heartbreaking that young children arrive at school and, when they are given a book, just turn the pages, because they have never held a book in their hands, for example. There is an enormous amount to do and the noble Baroness raises an important question about the long-term impact that this is having on children’s brains.
Toilet-training: Support for Parents
Debate between Baroness Blake of Leeds and Baroness Manzoor
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I could not agree with my noble friend more. As someone on the front line who had to deal with the cuts to grants almost from day one of the new Government after 2010, so many of which fell on front-line children’s services, I think we are seeing the impact of those cuts. Sure Start was a proven model. I look forward to the rollout of the Best Start family hubs, which look to replace what was lost over the past decade and a half.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, as an ex-nurse, ex-midwife and ex-health visitor, and having run a large part of the National Health Service, I am aware, as my noble friend on the Front Bench has already said, that there is a real psychological impact on children who go to school without being appropriately toilet trained. On top of that, the number of health visitors has reduced quite dramatically, so they cannot provide the services, help and support that they need to give to mothers in need.
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I am looking forward, as I am sure the noble Baroness is, to the professional strategy for nursing and midwifery, which will come out with our workforce plan through the 10-year plan for the health service. These are really important areas; we need to have a real focus. I am pleased that she recognises just what an important issue this is, how it can actually indicate further problems and what can be done to resolve them.
Baby Foods: Nutrition and Marketing
Debate between Baroness Blake of Leeds and Baroness Manzoor
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, the British Dietetic Association estimates that 34% of women in UK breastfeed. We all know that breastfeeding is best for babies, but compared with Europe, the UK figure is one of the lowest. In Germany, 50% of women do some breastfeeding at six months; in the US, the figure is around 49%. New mothers are discharged from hospital the next day, even if they have had a caesarean section. What are the Government doing to support new mothers to breastfeed their babies? What are they doing to promote breastfeeding, particularly as formula companies have huge marketing budgets?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
In my former life, I never dreamed that I would spend so much time talking about breastfeeding in the House of Lords. The noble Baroness raises such an important point, and this is why we are investing in Start for Life. The Start for Life services include £18.5 million to improve infant feeding services and to provide practical support with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is tough; it is not easy. In days gone by there was enormous support in hospitals for women who had their babies there; that does not exist any more. We want to make sure that it is delivered through the communities, to come up with a network of champions to help women, and to improve the statistics the noble Baroness so ably outlined.