Toilet-training: Support for Parents

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock Excerpts

Monday 5th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

The most important aspect of the agenda that the noble Earl raises is that we work from the emerging evidence base, taking into account the findings that are being made and looking into this in great detail. We must not rush forward and make assumptions. However, he raises important points. Readiness for school is a top priority of this Government. Focusing on public health visits for two to two and a half year-olds will be a priority in making early assessments of where children need more intervention and making sure that they are ready for school when school comes.

[Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (CB)]

My Lords, what is His Majesty’s Government’s strategy to ensure that health visiting advice is available to parents, particularly in rural areas where there can be extreme difficulty in getting a child to the specialist hubs that the Government are introducing, which I so welcome?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

Again, that is an important point. We all welcome that a lot of advice and guidance from the Best Start family hubs, including advice from public health visitors, will be available online. We have to embrace the digital aspect of this to enable people to be in communication with other people, access information in a timely manner, and feed back their concerns.