§ Dr. Ian GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of mothers on income support are projected to(a) breastfeed and (b) bottlefeed in each of the next five years. [91075]
§ Jacqui SmithWe do not collect information by this specific category of mother. The five-yearly national infant feeding survey provides historic data on the incidence of breastfeeding among women from social class V and those mothers without a partner. The latest survey shows a significant increase in the incidence of breastfeeding in mothers from social class V in England and Wales from 50 per cent, in 1995 to 59 per cent. in 2000.
The Department has set a national health service priorities and planning framework target to increase the initiation of breastfeeding by two percentage points per year over the next three years, particularly focussing on disadvantaged groups.