Food: Nutrition
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that people in Yeovil constituency can afford (a) healthy and (b) sustainable diets.
Answered by Mrs Sharon Hodgson
The Department is working with other Government departments on the Healthy Start Scheme, which helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households. In April 2026, the value of the weekly payments increased by 10%. Pregnant women and children aged over one and under four years old will each receive £4.65 per week, up from £4.25, and children under one years old will each receive £9.30 per week, up from £8.50.
In May 2026, the Healthy Start Scheme supported over 351,000 people, which included 204 households, or families, in Yeovil.
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