Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the misrepresentation of evidence which encourages women to drink alcohol during pregnancy by downplaying the risk to the health of the unborn child.

The Government is very clear about the dangers that alcohol poses to the unborn child and reflects this in the advice it gives. The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines published in 2016 provide clear advice to women not to drink alcohol if they are planning for a pregnancy or are pregnant. Information available on the NHS website also reflects this advice.

Additionally, the Government has been clear that the alcohol industry must reflect the UK Chief Medical Officers' alcohol guidelines on the labels of their products which includes a no drinking in pregnancy logo.

Public Health England, NHS England and local commissioners are already undertaking awareness and education on the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant. For example, the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership has recently launched its Drymester campaign to raise awareness of drinking alcohol when pregnant.