(Lab): My
Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken. This truly is a
miscellaneous group of amendments and I will add to the
miscellany of all this, because my Amendment 215A addresses the
ambiguity that arises from the current laws on marketing infant
formula.
Perhaps I may briefly explain the background as to why this is
before us today. The Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula
(England) Regulations 2007 were designed to prevent supermarkets promoting
infant formula over breastfeeding. They arose because, prior to
that, aggressive marketing and advertising techniques had been
used by the milk formula industry to mislead parents over the
best way in which to feed their babies. The current rules state
that infant formula should not be advertised or promoted in a
shop. They also say that no coupons, special sales offers,
discounts or gifts should be offered to mothers or their
families.
Meanwhile, noble Lords will be aware that the cost of infant
formula has risen recently and is a huge extra burden on
families, who are particularly suffering in the cost of living
crisis. It is estimated that the cost increased by 22% in the
past year alone. But because of the current
regulations, supermarkets
still cannot accept vouchers, even those provided by food banks
and local authorities to purchase that infant formula. There have
therefore been calls for the marketing rules to be reviewed to
allow, for example, retailers to accept loyalty points, grocery
vouchers and store gift cards, as well as free vouchers, for
infant formula...
