Proposed babies bill to give 'best start' in life

A campaign to cement rights to services for babies and toddlers is being picked up by a Hampshire MP who has won the right to propose a new law.

Sir Desmond Swayne won first place in the House of Commons' private members bill (PMB) ballot, giving him the best chance to create his own piece of legislation.

The bill would endorse the so-called 100-Days concept, advocated by childcare professionals. It suggests the government should have a duty to ensure babies and children up to age two, and their parents and carers, have access to midwifery checks and health visits.

Sir Desmond said his "babies bill" should "give children the best start in life".

The Conservative MP added: "We spend so much time picking up pieces later in life -whereas if we'd supported children and parents earlier in life, perhaps those problems could have been avoided later".

The 1001 Days concept includes emotional wellbeing support to prepare for parenting before birth, help with infant feeding, parental mental health checks and assistance with parent-infant relationships.

"Everybody should have the opportunity to access services wherever they live.

"I'm not forcing things on parents but we have children arriving to school in nappies or who can't speak properly - we have to have facilities to educate parents," added Sir Desmond.

The MP for New Forest West admitted his decision to raise the issue was influenced by his wife who spent many years volunteering as National Childbirth Trust breastfeeding counsellor.

Sure Start, launched in 1999 under Tony Blair's Labour government, became a universal service for all families with children under five and led to the opening of thousands of children's centres by 2010.

But many councils closed centres during austerity.

"When money was tight, the government took the ring fencing for funding away and that meant local authorities could spend as they wish," said Sir Desmond.

In 2021 under the Conservative government, the "Best Start for Life" campaign was launched.

It was designed to improve the offer to new parents including the creation of family hubs.

Last year the Labour government committed to opening 1,000 Best Start family hubs by 2028, designed to be one-stop shops for parents seeking support - including on breastfeeding, housing issues or children's early development and language.

At the time the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said many families had been "navigating the pressures of parenthood without the support they need".

"We are bringing back that support reimagined for a new generation of families," she added.

Sir Desmond said his bill would put into law the current Best Start and Healthy Babies programmes, protecting the schemes from future cuts.

"Everything comes down to money in the end," he said.

Only 3-8% of PMBs become law, and most flounder without government backing, but the New Forest West MP said he felt his bill was something politicians from all parties could get behind.

Last session, the winner of the Private Members Ballot was Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who brought forward the controversial Assisted Dying Bill, which ran out of time to pass into law.