Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 7:33 pm on 7 July 2025.
Baroness Bousted
Labour
7:33,
7 July 2025
My Lords, I thank the Minister for an excellent Statement, which I really welcome. Best start, it seems to me, builds on the legacy of Sure Start. I noticed the telling research from EPI in 2016, which found that 40% of the attainment gap by 16 is created before children start school. I am glad that she did not resile from the words of the Statement: the demise of Sure Start was devastating, particularly for the poorest children. That degree of disadvantage makes it much more difficult for teachers. Sure Start was a universal entitlement. Does the Minister envisage that best start will start with the most disadvantaged but develop into a more universal entitlement for all parents and their children?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
