Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the roll out of Best Start Family Hubs in the Westmorland and Furness local authority area; and what timescales are expected for delivery.

All local authorities, including Westmoreland and Furness, completed a Best Start in Life readiness survey in January 2026. In this survey, Westmorland and Furness indicated that they expected four Best Start Family Hubs to be established across the Barrow-in-Furness, South Lakeland, and Eden localities from April 2026, with a possible expansion to 15 hubs by March 2029. We expect the local authority to set out further detail on these planned hubs, including which may become network sites, in the Best Start Family Hub Delivery Plan, due in mid June.

The department works closely with local authorities to monitor implementation and ensure they are meeting programme expectations. Each local authority has a named contact responsible for overseeing delivery, and the department intends to work in close partnership with local authorities to review progress, share effective practice, and ensure areas are appropriately supported to drive improvements for children and families.