Member

Amendment 104, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley, seeks to enshrine in a law a scheme whereby those eligible for Healthy Start are automatically enrolled. The Government’s Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and young children under four from very low-income households. I understand the concern to ensure that uptake is maximised. In December 2025, Healthy Start supported over 345,000 vulnerable people, and the introduction of the prepaid card has helped to increase the numbers who can benefit from it. As the noble Baroness said, beneficiaries receive a prepaid card for their Healthy Start payments. I agree that we should do everything possible to ensure that as many eligible people as possible are accessing the scheme.