Written Question·Department of Health and Social Care·UIN 61889

Mental Health: Reading

Tabled: 23 June 2025
Answered: 3 July 2025

Question

Kim Johnson

LabourLiverpool Riverside

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) parents and (b) carers reading to children in the early years on the mental wellbeing of (i) children and (ii) those (A) parents and (B)

Answer

Stephen Kinnock
No such assessment has been made. We know that according to research, reading helps to reduce stress levels and could be beneficial to mental health and well-being.