The bill would place a legal requirement on local authorities in England to publish a ‘start for life offer’ on their website. This offer would include information on support services in their area for infants, parents or carers of infants, or prospective parents or carers. This would include information on maternity, health visiting and mental health services, amongst others. The bill would also require the secretary of state to produce guidance for local authorities on the start for life offer and introduce a duty on the secretary of state to report annually on the support available in England.
The Conservative government supported an almost identical version of the bill during the 2023–24 parliamentary session. The House of Commons bill had its second reading without debate before making no further progress at the dissolution of Parliament in May 2024. The Conservative government said the bill would have financial implications on both local authorities and government but anticipated that these would not be significant.
Lord Farmer (Conservative) is the bill’s sponsor in the House of Lords. The bill’s second reading in the House of Lords is due to take place on 6 September 2024.
