Lord Fink

The United Kingdom’s infant feeding recommendations are based on robust, independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). The SACN published its report, Feeding in the first year of life, in July 2018. This included consideration of the best available evidence on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding and the timing of the introduction of allergenic foods, including peanuts and hen’s eggs, into the infant diet. Considerations were informed by a joint SACN and Food Standards Agency Committee on Toxicity (COT) statement, named Assessing the health benefits and risks of the introduction of peanut and hen’s egg into the infant diet before six months of age in the UK.

Based on the SACN’s advice, the Government continues to recommend exclusively breastfeeding for the approximate first six months of life. Advice on the introduction of peanuts and hen’s eggs was strengthened to state that these foods can be introduced from approximately six months of age, need not be differentiated from other solid foods, and that the deliberate exclusion of peanuts or hen’s eggs beyond six to 12 months of age may increase the risk of allergy to these foods.

A five-year research project, Preventing food allergy in infants with early introduction of complementary feeding, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, started in September 2024. The SACN and the COT will review this research once available. A new Infant Feeding Survey undertaken in 2024 will provide data on breastfeeding and the introduction of solid foods, including allergenic foods. Results will be available later this year.

The government recognises the important role of SME housebuilders in delivering high-quality, energy-efficient homes and we welcome the innovation shown by those that drive energy efficiency improvements with high levels of insulation and airtightness. The government also wants to go further, and we are committed to introducing new legislation through the Future Homes Standard (FHS) this year which will see all new homes future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting consumer energy bills.

We are actively engaging with SMEs and the wider sector to understand the impact and ensure the standards remain deliverable. Once the FHS is published, there will be a transitional period to give housebuilders time to prepare and adjust.

SMEs will play a crucial role in delivering 1.5m homes and we are committed to supporting the sector. In December 2024, the government announced a £700m extension to the Home Building Fund which provides loans and finance to SME and will support the delivery of 12,000 homes. In addition, SME housebuilders can access lower-cost lending through the ENABLE Build scheme which was allocated an additional £1 billion guarantees capacity at the Budget on 30 October 2024.