Asked by: Matt Hancock (Independent - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the effectiveness of preventive healthcare (a) programs and (b) interventions at (i) increasing average life expectancy and (b) reducing the incidence of preventable diseases in the last 10 years; and whether his Department has conducted research on the effectiveness of individual preventive healthcare (A) programs and (B) interventions.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Department is taking action to improve healthy life expectancy (HLE), improve average life expectancy (LE) and reduce incidence of preventable disease. We monitor the impact of our programmes and interventions on their target metrics, and we are working towards understanding their impact on HLE as part of our work to drive progress on our Levelling Up health mission.
On 24 January 2023, we announced our plan to publish the Major Conditions Strategy. This strategy will explore how we can tackle the key drivers of ill-health in England. The strategy will focus on six major groups of conditions, namely cancers, mental health, cardiovascular disease (including stroke and diabetes), dementia, chronic respiratory diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders, that account for approximately 60% of ill-health and early death in England.
There is a wide range of published research and evidence on preventative healthcare interventions, which informs both the development of policy and advice issues to health services including by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. In 2017, PHE published the Health Economics Evidence Resource, available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-economics-evidence-resource
This summarised the evidence on the cost-effectiveness of various prevention interventions used by local authorities.
Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department has funded research on preventative healthcare interventions. For example, the NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research Programme funded study ‘What happens after an NHS Health Check? A survey and realist review’ has recently reported. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including preventative healthcare interventions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. NIHR funded research is published in its journals library which is available at the following link:
https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits for the levelling up agenda of implementing the recommendations of the (a) Early Years Healthy Development Review and (b) Vision for the Best Start for Life.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
My Right Honourable friend is an extraordinary champion on these issues and has long campaigned for babies and children to get the best start in life. This government recognises the importance of the 1001 critical days.
Investing over £300 million to transform Start for Life and Family Hub services, in 75 local authorities in England, with high levels of deprivation, directly supports the levelling up agenda.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of summer camps for young people; and what support they currently give to summer camps, particularly those helping children and young people from deprived communities.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recognises the significant benefits that summer camps can have for children’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as their educational and social development, and the particular value that this has for children and young people from deprived communities.
As announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer as part of the Spending Review, on 27 October 2021, the government will be providing over £200 million a year for the continuation of the holiday activities and food programme. This offers valuable support to families on lower incomes by providing enriching activities and healthy meals for disadvantaged children during school holidays. Local authorities will be able to use the funding for this programme, which is delivered through grants, to arrange childcare provision through a range of settings, including summer camps.
In addition, £60 million of the £750 million package for the voluntary and charity sector, has been directed towards organisations supporting children and young people. More recently, a £16.5 million youth COVID-19 support fund has been announced, which will protect the immediate future of grassroots and national youth organisations across the country. A press release about this support fund is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-165-million-youth-covid-19-support-fund. This is on top of the £200 million government investment in early intervention and prevention support initiatives to support children and young people at risk of exploitation and involvement in serious violence, through the Youth Endowment Fund.
The department also supports a number of initiatives to expand access to high-quality, extra-curricular activities for all children and young people. Many of these activities operate over the summer and include:
We are examining the research findings for the summer schools 2021 programme, which are due to be published in March. This is part of the department’s continued assessment of the impact of all education recovery programmes and we will continue to revise guidance on development and implementation of existing programmes, including where these programmes could provide support out of hours and term time.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that new parents who are in receipt of employment and support allowance are not negatively impacted by their ineligibility for the Healthy Start scheme.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Healthy Start scheme encourages a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and young children under four from low-income households.
We are supporting children and families though the expansion of family hubs in more areas and the implementation of the Early Years Healthy Development Review. We announced £300 million to fund a network of family hubs, Start for Life services, perinatal mental health support, breastfeeding services, and parenting programmes in 75 local authorities over the next three years. We are also providing a further £200 million to expand the Supporting Families programme. This is universal and includes new parents in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Early Years Healthy Development Review.
Answered by Will Quince
At the Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a £300 million to transform ‘Start for Life’ and family help services in half of the council areas across England.
This will fund a network of Family Hubs and specific support, within those Hubs, for parent-infant mental health, breastfeeding services and parenting programmes. In addition, we will be asking all 75 local areas to publish their 'Start for Life' offer and providing funding for trials of innovative workforce models in a smaller number of areas.
Family hubs are a way of joining up locally to improve access to services, the connections between families, professionals, services and providers, and putting relationships at the heart of family help.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Prime Minister or other Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of the appointment of a Cabinet Minister to oversee implementation of the Government’s Best Start for Life vision for the 1,001 critical days, published on 25 March 2021.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The report of the Early Years Healthy Development Review, published in March 2021, committed that a Cabinet Minister will oversee implementation of the agreed actions from the review and ensuring that Start for Life is kept at the heart of policy-making decisions across Government. The timing and nature of appointments to the Cabinet are at the discretion of the Prime Minister. A decision on responsibilities will be made in due course.
Implementation of many of the actions set out in the report is underway. The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an investment of £500 million over the next three years to transform Start for Life and family help services in half of upper tier local authorities in England in the recent Spending Review. This includes £200 million for the supporting families programme.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the length is of Dame Andrea Leadsom's appointment as the Government’s Early Years Healthy Development Adviser.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Her appointment is due to finish at the end of April 2022.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure new parents are not negatively impacted by not being eligible for the Healthy Start scheme.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Healthy Start scheme helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and young children under four from low-income households.
We are expanding family hubs to more areas and supporting the implementation of the Early Years Healthy Development Review. We announced £300 million to fund a network of Family Hubs, Start for Life services, perinatal mental health support, breastfeeding services, and parenting programmes in 75 local authorities over the next three years, and a further £200 million to expand the Supporting Families programme.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Policy paper entitled The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days, what steps he is taking to help ensure that vulnerable parents are given the support they need to safely parent from the point of conception through to birth.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Early Years Healthy Development Review’s report, published in March 2021, set out a vision for every local authority to provide an integrated universal Start for Life offer for every family which is targeted at the needs of their specific local communities, from disability to transport in rural areas, domestic abuse to drug and alcohol support. Every member of the Start for Life workforce should understand how to make a referral to children’s social services and high quality safeguarding support must be fully integrated into wider services.
We have announced a £500 million investment in Start for Life and family services at the recent Spending Review. This includes £82 million to create a network of family hubs in 75 local authorities, improving access to a wide range of integrated support services for families with children; £50 million for evidence-based parenting programmes; £100 million for bespoke mental health support for new and expectant parents to nurture the relationship between parent and child; and an additional £200 million for the Supporting Families programme.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the timetable for announcing a Cabinet Minister to oversee implementation of the Government’s Early Years Healthy Development Review, The Best Start for Life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days, published on 25 March 2021.
Answered by Maggie Throup
As outlined in the Early Years Healthy Development Review’s report, published in March 2021, a Cabinet Minister will oversee ensuring that Start for Life is kept at the heart of policy-making decisions across government.
The timing and nature of appointments to the Cabinet are at the discretion of the Prime Minister. A decision on responsibilities going forward will be made in due course.