Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of screen time and digital technology use on early childhood development; and what steps they are taking to support parents and early years providers in managing the use of such technologies among young children.

On 27 March, the government published Best Start in Life advice about screen use for children aged 0 to 5, which is available on the Best Start in Life website.

​The advice is informed by an expert panel’s independent report, which draws on quantitative and qualitative research, including engagement with parents, carers and stakeholders. It emphasises that screen use should be carefully managed, with a focus on supporting healthy development, encouraging active play, sleep, and positive interactions, helping parents to make informed, balanced decisions about technology use.

Guidance on appropriate electronic device and screen usage for early years settings is available on the Help for Early Years Providers platform.

Following the publication of our new screen use advice, we will update our guidance for early years settings, to align and strengthen the information on screen use and digital literacy for early years practitioners.

We will take the next opportunity to reference the updated Help for Early Years Providers guidance in the Early Years Foundation Stage frameworks.