§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking in response to recommendations from the UN Committee on the Convention on the Rights of the Child on measures to promote breast feeding and adoption of the International Code for Marketing of breast milk substitutes. [76402]
§ Jacqui SmithI have been asked to reply.
The Government are fully committed to the promotion of breastfeeding, which is accepted as the best form of nutrition for infants. Under the NHS Plan, we have a commitment for "increased support for breastfeeding". As part of the Government's commitment to reduce health inequalities and increase breastfeeding rates, particularly among disadvantaged groups, a target has been set to increase breastfeeding initiation rates by 2 percentage points through the NHS priorities and planning framework.
The Department has undertaken several strands of work in promoting breastfeeding and will be further developed in the context of the children's national service framework. A total of 79 "best breastfeeding practice" projects have been funded across all regions. The aim is to increase the rates of breastfeeding, both initiation and duration among the disadvantaged groups. This is a goal shared by all sure start initiatives and several health action zone programmes.
Other related Department activities include support for an annual National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, that aims to raise the awareness of breastfeeding through the NHS. The Department also has close links with the four main voluntary organisations involved in the promotion of breastfeeding and the UNICEF/ World Health Organisation baby friendly initiative. The Department also conducts research into breastfeeding through quinquennial infant feeding surveys.
728WSince 1981, the United Kingdom has publicly endorsed the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and all the relevant resolutions passed at the World Health Assembly. The Infant Formula and Follow-on-Formula regulations came into force on 1 March 1995 and they implement the EC Directive 91/321/EEC, which embraces the principles of the WHO Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes 1981. The regulations place statutory restrictions on the composition, labelling, advertising and export of infant formulae. By implementing the Directive, the Government have taken seriously their responsibility to protect infant health and are at present revising the policy lines on infant feeding. We will be giving full consideration to the United Nations Committee's recommendations on promoting breastfeeding.