Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recommendations in the report by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition entitled Feeding young children aged 1 to 5 years, last updated 8 May 2024.whether she plans to take steps to make an assessment on the potential impact of (a) food pouches and (b) highly blended food on the development of (i) chewing skills, (ii) oral motor function and (iii) dental health in children under 36 months.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Two research projects have been commissioned that will consider the impact of commercially manufactured baby foods on dental health. These are based on research recommendations made in the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition report Feeding young children aged 1 to 5 years and are funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
One is the Studying Health Impacts of Early Diets project, that runs from December 2024 to May 2027. The overall aim of this project is to assess how the diet of children aged between one and five years old in the United Kingdom influences their health in childhood, adolescence and early adulthood.
The other is the Growing Well Study running from March 2025 to March 2028. This study aims to understand more about the eating habits of children aged between one and five years old, and how this affects their growth and dental health.
No Government-funded research is currently underway that is considering the potential impact of food pouches and highly blended food on the development of chewing skills or oral motor function in children aged under 36 months.
The Department commissions research through the NIHR. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the health impacts of infant feeding practices.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will consider a) adopting a gender-informed definition of rough sleeping and homelessness, b) providing local authorities with tools, resources, and guidance on gathering accurate and inclusive data on women’s rough sleeping and homelessness and c) providing gender-informed guidance to enable local authorities to ensure services and systems are equitable, accessible and safe for women, matched with appropriate levels of funding to do so.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that women experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping have different experiences and needs to men.
The Government introduced a new question in the Rough Sleeping Monthly Management Information to capture the gender of those sleeping rough over the course of a month, rather than on a single night.
The Government has increased funding for homelessness services by £316 million to a record total of more than £1 billion. Local authorities can use this money to respond to local need, including those of women in their area. We are considering the needs of different cohorts in our cross-Government homelessness strategy, which will be published later this year.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that industry follows Commercial Food and Drink Voluntary Industry Guidelines on health claims.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Voluntary guidelines published in August 2025 require commercial baby food and drink businesses for children under 36 months to restrict implied nutrition and health claims on labels. These claims can lead to parents overestimating the healthiness of the product. Businesses are expected to comply by February 2027.
We will monitor progress after that time, to ensure businesses have the maximum time available to make these changes.
The Government will consider additional or alternative measures if businesses fail to implement these guidelines.