Written question WQ95858
- Asked by
- Jenny RathboneLabour
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 8 days
Question
Will the Welsh Government ask all NHS operators to implement the CMA's recommendation that maternity units and baby clinics only provide unbranded infant formula to new parents so they are not influencing new parents to buy infant formula based on branding rather than price?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
In Wales we seek to support families to provide the best start for their babies, whether they choose to breastfeed or use infant formula products.
In February 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its final report on the infant formula market, which set out a number of recommendations for Governments across the UK to consider. These recommendations include the provision of timely, clear, accurate and impartial information on nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products in healthcare settings and standardised infant formula labelling in healthcare settings. We will now be considering the recommendations, alongside the UK Government and devolved nations.
Public Health Wales is also currently developing recommendations to inform the production of a revised National Infant Feeding Action Plan and outcomes framework for Welsh Government. This would include recommendations from the CMA and will supersede the existing Breastfeeding action plan which came to an end in 2024.