Wednesday 4th February 2026

(1 day, 6 hours ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Manzoor Portrait Baroness Manzoor (Con)
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My Lords, of course the best food for babies comes from breastfeeding. May I advocate that we should not lose sight of the fact that many mothers do breastfeed? But I understand the anguish and fear that mothers who cannot breastfeed have had in relation to this incident, and the department needs to do more to make young new mothers aware of the issue, because, as the Minister and I know, there is a shortage of community midwives and health visitors.

Baroness Merron Portrait Baroness Merron (Lab)
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That last point is something that will be looked at as part of workforce planning. I totally agree with the noble Baroness about the importance of the multidisciplinary team in supporting new mothers to find the right ways that are suitable for them and best for their baby—and I am glad the noble Baroness accepted that breastfeeding is not possible for everybody.