I am very pleased to confirm that we have established an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Babies (Pregnancy to Age Two), building on the success of the APPG (with a slightly different name) in the last parliament.
More than 20 MPs and Peers have registered as members, and we had our first meeting in October. We elected a set of Officers, which I will list below, and I am very pleased to confirm that I will be Vice Chair as we champion this extremely important issue.
APPGs are single-issue groups which allow parliamentarians to work cross-party to explore the policy area, making recommendations for the future or to champion the issue and raise its profile.
I am passionate about life chances for all, especially in Heywood and Middleton North and the earliest days of everyone’s life are the most important of all. Looking after mothers through their pregnancy and facilitating a safe and nurturing home in the first two years of a child’s life is the secret to giving them lasting health and development so they can fill their own potential.
That’s why I wanted to join this APPG and I hope we can, together with others from all political parties, persuade the Government to deliver on their passion for early years.
The secretariat for the APPG is the Parent Infant Foundation who will look after the group, organise the meetings and help our work connect with the wider policy agenda. I am very grateful for their support and excited by the potential of working with them.
The group has started already with a letter to Andrew Gwynne, Minister of State for Public Health and Prevention, calling for the Start for Life programme to have it’s funding extended beyond the end of March 2025 (which now has been confirmed!), to be rolled out beyond the 75 areas in England that currently receive funding and to meet to discuss how to move this agenda forward.
The APPGs work is already inspiring questions in Parliament. Maya Ellis MP asked an oral question during Education Questions calling on the government to extend the Start for Life programme beyond the 75 areas of England that currently receive the funding. Stephen Morgan, Minister for Early Education, agreed to meet with her to discuss this further.
The newly elected officers of the APPG are:
- Maya Ellis MP (Labour) – Chair
- Elsie Blundell MP (Labour) – Vice-Chair
- Patrick Spencer MP (Conservative) – Vice Chair
- Freddie van Mierlo MP (Liberal Democrat) – Vice-Chair
The APPG’s full purpose is: To champion the needs of vulnerable babies who need support. Recognising the first 1001 days is a crucial period of development, when adverse experiences affect future outcomes, we aim to help government make informed decisions about early years policy, grounded in evidence and the experience of families, babies and professionals.
If you want to write to me with your thoughts or ideas on this subject then I would love to hear from you – send me an email: elsie.blundell.mp@parliament.uk