Bread and Flour Regulations 1998

Baroness Walmsley Excerpts

Wednesday 11th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I will be glad to look into that and to update the noble Lord and your Lordships’ House on the matter.

[Baroness Walmsley (LD)]

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, on his persistence; these Benches have always supported him. I welcome that more NTDs will be prevented. However, given that we have to wait yet another two years and that the Government’s guidance for women who wish to become pregnant or who are pregnant is to continue taking folic acid supplements, are the Government looking at creative ways of making it easier for them to do that —for example, having them available for free in antenatal clinics or at family hubs?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

As I mentioned earlier, while 24 months is a realistic transition, not everything will wait that long. It is the case, as the noble Baroness says, that there is still advice to women who could become pregnant to take folic acid supplements, and it is important that we keep that message going. However, 50% of pregnancies are not planned, so it is not possible to prepare by taking supplements. We are looking at all ways of effectively getting the message across.