Breast-feeding: Promotion Overseas (Hansard, 25 May 1994)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)
My Lords, the Government strongly support the promotion of breast-feeding both through action in the United Kingdom; and in developing countries, through support for the activities of the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children's Fund.

§ Lord Hylton
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her reply which is particularly welcome during the International Year of the Family. Will the Government, as well as doing what has been mentioned, also implement in this country the European Union directive which permits the banning of the advertising of formula milk?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
Yes, my Lords, the EC directives which have now been produced reflect the World Health Organisation's policy that this Government agreed to 10 years ago. These draft directives were issued for consultation in December. All parties had to have their responses in by 4th March. Officials are now considering those comments, and they will come to Ministers next month.

§ Baroness Gardner of Parkes
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the Government do a great deal not only to help encourage breast-feeding but also to help to sustain families and mothers, and therefore to enable them to feed their children, by the money that they give through the ODA to non-governmental organisations in many countries in the world where there is desperate need of help? I say that because I am chairman of Plan International, one of the many organisations which the ODA helps to fund and which looks after families.

§ Baroness Cumberlege
Yes, my Lords. My noble friend is absolutely right. Through the ODA we help with family policy. We support breast-feeding through the World Health Organisation's family health division and through UNICEF's baby-friendly hospitals programme.

§ Lord Rea
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that the manufacturers of infant formula milks are again trying very hard—are on the offensive in fact—to increase their exports to the developing world? Is she aware that of the 15 million or so preventable child deaths in the third world, a great number are due to 754 diarrhoea associated with malnutrition, and that the use of these formula milks in countries with an inadequate clean water supply and poor conditions generality greatly exacerbates the danger of diarrhoea? Will the Government help WHO in ensuring that this new threat is counteracted?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
Yes, my Lords. The Government's policy is first of all to try to help developing countries to achieve clean water supplies. That must be the first priority. Secondly, the manufacturers in this country have agreed a code on labelling, advertising and exporting inappropriately to developing countries.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, does the Minister agree with me that HIV can be passed by breast-feeding from mother to infant, but even so gastro-enteritis is a far greater risk to babies because of unclean water and the lack of sterilisation in developing countries?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
Yes, my Lords. The noble: Baroness is absolutely right. That is the Government's policy. We believe that breast is best. We think that it is the designer milk for babies; that one cannot do better, and that indeed the advantages outweigh the disadvantages that come through HIV infection.

§ Lord Avebury
My Lords, bearing in mind the sometimes unscrupulous promotional efforts made by the manufacturing companies to sell their products in unsuitable parts of the third world, are the recipient countries entitled under the GATT rules totally to ban the importation of infant milk products''

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, I believe that that is an item for individual countries to consider, but one of the matters that features strongly in our policy is that no dumping will come from this country where it is inappropriate and not sought by the government concerned or indeed by the NGO in that country.

§ The Countess of Mar
My Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that in order to breast-feed her baby successfully a mother must be healthy and well-nourished? Does she also agree that in some circumstances, for example in the drought-ridden countries of Africa, it is impossible for a mother to breast-feed and therefore she must be well advised about the use of skimmed milk and artificial milks? Is something being done about that?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
Yes, my Lords. We agree with the noble Countess that there are situations when infant formula is the most effective form of food to save lives. We would want to ensure that developing countries get help through the ODA and other agencies. We have to keep a balance and ensure that inappropriate action is not taken.

§ Baroness Jay of Paddington
My Lords, perhaps I may first congratulate the Minister on her spirited defence in the newspapers of breast-feeding in McDonald's restaurants in this country. Turning to the developing world, following the question of the noble 755 Baroness, Lady Masham, are the Government and the development agencies now able to give clear and absolute advice to third world countries about the impact of HIV and AIDS through breast milk?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, that is done through the World Health Organisation, which this Government support. It is part of the general health education programme which we support in developing countries.

§ Lord Monkswell
My Lords, in addition to recognising the damage to babies who are bottle-fed as opposed to breast-fed, are the Government aware that the high incidence of breast cancer is linked to bottle-feeding? Will the Government take steps to make that information more widely known as an incentive not only to breast-feed but also in order to protect mothers from the risk in later life of breast cancer, which is greater if they do not breast-feed?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, the research is still not definitive on that subject. As a Government we are now putting enormous resources into breast cancer research. When it comes to a mother's choice, clearly she wants to involve her husband or partner and also take advice from the health professionals involved.