Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Health of Children and Young People 2026-07-14

Tuesday 14 July 2026 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government are investing 200 million to strengthen healthy baby services through Best Start family hubs.
  • The Minister is committed to meeting with Members to discuss and develop health initiatives nationally.
  • 5 million has been allocated since 2025-26 to support supervised toothbrushing in schools and nurseries in the most deprived areas.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Linsey Farnsworth Lab
Mental Health Children & Families
Context

The question arises from the government's commitment to improve child health, focusing on preventive measures.

Question

What steps is the minister taking to help improve the health of children and young people? The Government are committed to making this generation of children the healthiest ever through initiatives like Best Start family hubs, mental health support for nearly 6 million young people, and the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026.

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

The Government are investing £200 million to strengthen healthy baby services through Best Start family hubs, expanding mental health support for nearly 6 million young people in school or college, and using interventions like the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. The aim is to create the first smoke-free generation.

Answered
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Q2 Linsey Farnsworth Lab
Education Children & Families
Context

Businesses in Amber Valley are undertaking initiatives to improve the health of children and young people, such as Ferrero's “Joy of Moving” programme and SC Johnson's hand-hygiene pilot.

Question

Will the Minister commit to meeting me to discuss these initiatives, so that we can learn from the excellent work being done in Amber Valley and develop it nationally?

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

The Government are committed to prevention measures for children's health, including £1 billion investment in PE and school sport. The Minister commends the work of Ferrero and SC Johnson and is always happy to learn more about such initiatives.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to a specific meeting was not addressed

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Q3 Julian Smith Con Skipton and Ripon
NHS Children & Families
Context

The Government are proposing cuts to the amount paid to providers for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism assessments, which could impact assessment quality.

Question

Will the Health Secretary speak to providers in this area, because this cut could have significant implications for the standard and quality of autism and ADHD assessments?

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

A White Paper on SEND is out for discussion. The Government are looking at improving assessment, diagnosis and support for all children with special educational needs and disabilities, including autism.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to specific discussions with providers was not addressed

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Q4 Marie Tidball Lab
Mental Health
Context

The LimbBo Foundation and the Limb Loss and Limb Difference UK alliance are campaigning to end inconsistent delivery of services across the country.

Question

Will the Minister meet with me and the alliance to discuss how we can secure better access to mental health services, fair and consistent prosthetic provision and lifelong joined-up pathways for people with limb loss and limb difference?

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

Ministers would be happy to meet the hon. Friend to discuss this issue further, acknowledging the campaign by LimbBo Foundation and marking Disability Pride Month.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to a specific meeting was not addressed fully

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Q5 Claire Young Lib Dem
NHS
Context

Fewer than half of the children in her constituency have seen an NHS dentist in the last two years, highlighting health inequalities.

Question

What other measures does the Minister plan to introduce to tackle oral health inequalities for children? Will she commit to reviewing NHS dental provision in my constituency?

Answer from Sharon Hodgson

£21.5 million has been allocated since 2025-26 to support supervised toothbrushing in schools and nurseries in the most deprived areas, including her constituency.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to a specific review was not addressed fully

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