Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the joint report by Barnardo's and the Co-op A recipe for success: How do children and young people want to access food in their communities?, published in September, what plans they have to review the Healthy Start programme to (1) assess its value, and (2) improve its uptake.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

This Government is committed to creating the healthiest generation of children ever, as set out in our Child Health Action Plan. The Healthy Start scheme is kept under continuous review and the Department in June 2022 commissioned an evaluation of the Healthy Start scheme in England through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

In April 2021, the value of Healthy Start rose from £3.10 to £4.25 per week, providing additional support to pregnant women and families on lower incomes to make healthy food choices. Children aged under one each receive £8.50 in total per week, a rise from £6.20 a week. This was an increase of 37% and we currently have no plans to increase the value further.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) delivers the scheme on behalf of the Department. The NHSBSA is committed to increasing uptake of the Healthy Start scheme to ensure as many children as possible have a healthy start in life.

The NHSBSA promotes the Healthy Start scheme through its digital channels and has created free tools to help stakeholders promote the scheme locally. The NHSBSA has also reached out to stakeholders to see how it can support them to promote the scheme.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the joint report by Barnardo's and the Co-op A recipe for success: How do children and young people want to access food in their communities?, published in September, what steps they will take (1) to make food available to young people in existing after-school clubs and youth services, including in Family Hubs and the proposed Young Futures Hubs, and (2) to work with the retail sector to promote and incentivise healthy food choices for young people, particularly 16 and 17 year-olds.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to ensuring healthy food is available to young people and recognises the importance of nutritious food to support their growth and development.

Food provision is an optional element of existing after school clubs, and many childcare providers supply food as part of their offer. After school clubs operating on school premises are required to meet the School Food Standards, which regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day, to ensure a balanced diet. Once rolled out nationally, the government’s new breakfast clubs will provide healthy food to start the day in every school with primary age pupils.

More widely, the government is committed to delivering its plan for the healthiest generation ever, including working to promote healthy food choices for young people through the voluntary sugar reduction programme and the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. The voluntary sugar reduction programme works with retailers, and other parts of the food industry, to reduce sugar levels in foods that contribute most to the sugar intake of children and the Soft Drinks Industry Levy is a tax applied to producers and importers of added sugar soft drinks that contain 5g total sugar per 100ml or more.

The government is clear we need a resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports British farmers. The government will be considering the role of place-based initiatives, including Local Food Partnerships, as we develop our plans to support our farmers and food and drink businesses, boost food security, invest in rural communities, deliver growth, manage waste more effectively across the supply chain, improve resilience to climate change and tackle biodiversity loss.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the joint report by Barnardo's and the Co-op A recipe for success: How do children and young people want to access food in their communities?, published in September, what steps they will take to work with local authorities to support and coordinate the establishment of local food partnerships, particularly in deprived communities.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to ensuring healthy food is available to young people and recognises the importance of nutritious food to support their growth and development.

Food provision is an optional element of existing after school clubs, and many childcare providers supply food as part of their offer. After school clubs operating on school premises are required to meet the School Food Standards, which regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day, to ensure a balanced diet. Once rolled out nationally, the government’s new breakfast clubs will provide healthy food to start the day in every school with primary age pupils.

More widely, the government is committed to delivering its plan for the healthiest generation ever, including working to promote healthy food choices for young people through the voluntary sugar reduction programme and the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. The voluntary sugar reduction programme works with retailers, and other parts of the food industry, to reduce sugar levels in foods that contribute most to the sugar intake of children and the Soft Drinks Industry Levy is a tax applied to producers and importers of added sugar soft drinks that contain 5g total sugar per 100ml or more.

The government is clear we need a resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports British farmers. The government will be considering the role of place-based initiatives, including Local Food Partnerships, as we develop our plans to support our farmers and food and drink businesses, boost food security, invest in rural communities, deliver growth, manage waste more effectively across the supply chain, improve resilience to climate change and tackle biodiversity loss.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the joint report by Barnardo's and the Co-op A recipe for success: How do children and young people want to access food in their communities?, published in September, what steps they will take to set out plans to address holiday hunger after the Holiday Activities and Food Programme ends in March 2025, including efforts to (1) increase uptake, and (2) extend eligibility.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

All 153 local authorities in England have been delivering the Holiday Activities and Food Programme during the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays supported by £200 million annual investment.

The HAF programme supports disadvantaged children and their families with enriching activities, providing them with healthy food and helping them to learn new things, improving socialisation and benefiting their health and wellbeing during school holidays.

While the HAF programme is targeted primarily towards children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, local authorities also have flexibility to use up to 15% of their funding to target and support other children and families that align with the local authorities’ own priorities.

The future of the HAF programme beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the outcome of the review will be communicated in due course.