VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Pre-school Education

Asked by Dame Harriett BaldwinConservativeDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 1 August 2025UIN 65752

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 680, what steps she plans to take to help support (a) babies and (b) parents in each of the years of the 2025 Spending Review Period.

Answered by Stephen Morgan

The department’s strategy, ‘Giving every child the best start in life’ set out that we will spend close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education.

Over the next three years, the department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services to ensure all babies, children and families have access to the early intervention and support they need.

The department is making big investments in early education and childcare. Government spending on funded hours will reach £9 billion next year and will continue to rise over Parliament. And we are setting aside £400 million over the next three years to improve quality in early years settings and reception classes and drive better outcomes for children.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim