The “shocking” findings of a Sky News investigation into the price of infant formula milk and what it’s forcing parents to do to feed their babies has been raised three times in the House of Commons.
Charities and baby banks have warned that the UK is on the “brink of a public health crisis” due to the unsafe feeding methods that some parents are having to use because they can’t afford formula milk.
Prices have risen on average 24% over the past two years, with the cheapest brand having jumped 45% according to new data from First Steps Nutrition.
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Alison Thewliss, chair of the All Party Group on Infant Feeding, has already called for a price cap and has now pressed the Government to instruct the Competitions and Markets Authority to investigate the market.
The SNP MP said: “Leaving the cost of infant formula up to the markets has resulted in soaring prices, as Sky News has revealed this week with parents stealing formula from shops, relying on baby banks and formula foraging on Facebook while profits and marketing spends from the companies has soared.”
“Will he instruct the CMA to investigate this sector to protect our youngest citizens?”
Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, Kevin Hollinrake, did not address the lengths parents are having to go to.
He said in response: “The CMA is an independent body, and it decides where it should intervene of course we keep these matters under very close scrutiny.
“Competition is the best regulator…it is very important that competition is allowed to play its role in driving down prices but it is certainly something we will certainly keep our eyes on.”
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Ms Thewliss later raised the issue again with Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt.
She responded by saying: “Supporting families through the cost of living pressures that are going on at the moment and particularly wanting to be able to support families with young children is a priority for this Government.”
Labour’s Andrew Western also raised the investigation in the Commons.
He said: “There have been shocking revelations this week of desperate parents forced to steal to feed their infant children.”
He called on the government to look at the value of Healthy Start Vouchers which no longer cover the cost of a tub of formula milk. Mr Western pointed out that the value of Healthy Start vouchers has been frozen for the past two years.
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Ms Mordaunt responded by saying that the issue of families being able to feed their babies was : “A very serious and important matter to us.”
Mr Western has secured a Westminster Hall debate on the issue of the value of Healthy Start vouchers next week on Tuesday 23 May.
