Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by the Competition and Markets Authority entitled Infant formula and follow-on formula market study, published on 14 February 2025, what steps his Department is taking to (a) restrict the use of non-verifiable messages and (b) ensure that only specified and prescribed information or categories of information are permitted on the labelling for (i) infant formula and (ii) follow-on formula.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Infant feeding is critical to a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.
Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality. Infant formula regulations ensure that all infant formula is suitable for meeting the nutritional needs of babies, regardless of the price or brand.
The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study report on infant formula and follow-on formula which included recommendations related to clear, accurate and impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products on product labelling and on prohibiting intangible and/or non-verifiable messages on infant and follow on formula labels. We will carefully consider its findings and recommendations and respond in due course.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by the Competition and Markets Authority entitled Infant formula and follow-on formula market study, published on 14 February 2025, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure infant formula manufacturers provide (a) clear, (b) accurate and (c) impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products on product labelling.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Infant feeding is critical to a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.
Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality. Infant formula regulations ensure that all infant formula is suitable for meeting the nutritional needs of babies, regardless of the price or brand.
The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study report on infant formula and follow-on formula which included recommendations related to clear, accurate and impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products on product labelling and on prohibiting intangible and/or non-verifiable messages on infant and follow on formula labels. We will carefully consider its findings and recommendations and respond in due course.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle health inequalities for people living in coastal communities.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The healthy life expectancy for men in Blackpool is just 51.7 years - the lowest in England and up to 18 years lower than some areas.
These statistics are shocking. We are taking action across Government to address the environmental and socio-economic determinants of health, and aiming to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions.
We know that targeted action to tackle health inequalities will facilitate economic opportunities, and support an NHS fit for the future.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to review the impact of alcohol on mental health..
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in September 2023, identifies substance misuse, including alcohol, as a key common risk factor for action, and we will explore opportunities to go further. The negative impact that alcohol can have on mental health is also acknowledged and highlighted on the NHS England website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/the-risks-of-drinking-too-much/