Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost is of (a) the National Child Measurement Programme and (b) feedback letters relating to that Programme.

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is a mandatory public health function of local authorities, and collects data on the weight status of children aged four to five years old, who would be in reception, and 10 to 11 years old, who would be in Year 6. The data is used both nationally and locally, to inform child health and obesity policy planning and commissioning.

The NCMP is funded through the Public Health Grant for local authorities, at a cost of £19,967,000 in 2023/24, the latest year for which data on cost is available. Local authorities determine the method and model of delivery. Local commissioning and delivery therefore varies between local authorities.

Providing feedback to parents in the form of feedback letters is not a mandated component of the NCMP. It is a local authority’s decision on whether to notify parents of their children’s measurements, and what information and support is offered. The Department does not hold or have access to data on the costs of providing feedback letters to parents. The information is collected at a local authority level, and forms part of the local authority revenue expenditure and financing for social care and public health services on ‘obesity – children’.