On the face of it it's a stupid idea, £190 won't pay for much but as Pete says it'll add up to a hell of a lot for the government to pay for.
But when you look at it from a preventative point of view it makes a bit more sense (only a small bit mind) because if the mother to be doesn't know how to prepare properly for the birth, or doesn't know how to look after a newborn baby, the government / NHS / local authority will end up footing the bill for putting things right - usually at a much bigger cost.
It's hard to swallow but throwing in a relatively small amount of money early on is much cheaper than having to deal with a disaster further down the line.
I still don't think this is the right way about it though, mothers to be who need help, assistance or advice should be able to get it themselves via the NHS, and not simply have money thrown at them in the hope that they'll: A: know how to use it and B: have the moral fibre to use it properly. Bit of a shot in the dark attempt at prevention really.