Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the future of the mandated universal elements of the Healthy Child Programme for children aged 0 to five.

The commissioning of 0 to 5 years public health services transferred from NHS England to local authorities on 1 October 2015. Prior to transfer, Regulations were made to mandate the delivery of five universal health visitor reviews as set out in the Healthy Child Programme. The Regulations have a sunset clause that ends their effect on 31 March 2017, 18 months after coming into operation.

The Regulations make provision for a review, by the Secretary of State, of the operation of the mandated elements. This will help inform future arrangements.

In the interim, the Department is working with Public Health England, (as the strategic and professional lead for health visitor services), to monitor progress of the new arrangements.