§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the recommendation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child that the UK Government adopt the international code for marketing of breast-milk substitutes, what plans he has to introduce the remaining articles of(a) the 1990 Innocenti Declaration and (b) the international code into UK legislation; and what steps his Department is taking to promote and support breastfeeding in the first six months of infant life. [150820]
1063W
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations came into force on 1 March 1995. These regulations implemented EC Directive 91/321/EEC, which embraces the principles of the World Health Organisation code of marketing of breast milk substitutes 1981. We are aware of the differences in United Kingdom legislation compared with the international code.
We are exploring with the Foods Standards Agency ways in which the UK regulations could be better aligned to the international code.
The Government are fully committed to the promotion of breastfeeding and have a commitment in the NHS Plan for "increased support for breastfeeding" and recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant's life. Further commitment to this goal is reflected in a target that has been set to increase breastfeeding initiation rates by two percentage points, focusing particularly on those from disadvantaged groups as part of the priorities and planning framework 2003–06. A resource pack will be launched in the spring of 2004 to support the national health service in meeting this target. This work will be further developed in the context of the children's national service framework we will be publishing this year. The Department supports National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, a public health campaign to promote the benefits of breastfeeding through the NHS.