Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the provision of healthy baby funding to Stockport Council will be as part of the Best Start in Life allocation.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious agenda to how we will improve the nation’s health by creating a new model of care that is fit for the future.

We recognise that local authorities such as Stockport Council are ambitious, seeking to deliver universal support to babies, children, and their families and prevent escalating need. We are committed to delivering the 10-Year Health Plan ambition to match Healthy Babies, formerly Start for Life, to Best Start Family Hubs over the next decade.

Healthy Babies is one element of our broader commitment to supporting babies, children, and families. From April 2026, Best Start Family Hubs will expand to every single local authority, including Stockport Council, backed by over £500 million to reach up to half a million more children and families. This funding will help all local authorities to integrate a range of statutory and non-statutory health and family services.