Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the findings of the research commissioned by the 1001 Critical Days Foundation on screen use among babies and children under two.

The evidence available on the harms and benefits of screen use in under-five year olds is emerging and mixed. We welcome the research commissioned by the 1,001 Critical Days Foundation and its contribution to the evidence base.

The early years are a critical period for children’s development. Screens can play a role, but healthy development depends on sufficient sleep, play, real-world interaction, and responsive adult engagement. On 27 March, the Government published advice on screen use for children aged zero to five years old on the Best Start in Life website. Informed by a panel of experts, it offers practical, non-judgemental support to help families balance screen use with other activities. We will keep this under review as the area develops and will determine whether our current advice to parents should change.