Oral Answers to Questions

Pippa Heylings Excerpts

Tuesday 7th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Karin Smyth]

My right hon. Friend highlights a problem throughout the system, not just in her area. Self-employed contractors to NHS GP surgeries are not bound by national terms and conditions; they can develop their terms and conditions as they see fit. They have the flexibility to set terms and conditions to aid recruitment and retention. We anticipate that good employers will set wage rates and terms and conditions that reflect the skills and experience of their staff. That is better for staff and for patients, and I know that she will continue to highlight that with her local employer. It is certainly something that we need to keep an eye on as we develop services further.

[Pippa Heylings (South Cambridgeshire) (LD)]

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

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Andrew Gwynne)]

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.

[Pippa Heylings]

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?