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 ensure that parents receive (a) up to date and (b) relevant advice for feeding infants.

The Department undertakes a range of activities to ensure that parents receive up-to-date and relevant advice on infant feeding. We are investing £18.5 million in 2025/26 for infant feeding support across 75 local authorities in England through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. We have also extended the National Breastfeeding Helpline so that more families across the United Kingdom can access evidence-based information and support 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

The Best Start in Life and NHS websites both provide trusted information on breastfeeding, formula feeding and introducing solid food, and are regularly updated in line with guidance from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Recent updates include advice on the use of shop-bought baby food.

Voluntary industry guidelines for commercial baby food and drink aimed at babies and young children aged up to 36 months old have also been published. The guidelines encourage manufacturers to reduce levels of sugar and salt in, and improve the labelling and marketing of, these products. This will make it easier for parents and carers to make healthier and more informed choices.

To ensure information reaches families at the right time, targeted advertising campaigns are run primarily on social media to engage parents whose babies are approaching weaning age, providing them with timely and relevant advice. In addition, most families receive infant feeding information and support from midwives and health visitors, who deliver targeted interventions as appropriate and support families in accessing specialist services where needed.