Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the consumption of daily Vitamin D supplements.

In 2016, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published an assessment of the evidence on vitamin D and a range of health outcomes. The SACN’s recommendations informed the current Government advice for a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D to be taken throughout autumn and winter for musculoskeletal health due to reduced sunlight.

Those at increased risk of receiving insufficient vitamin D are advised to consider taking a vitamin D supplement throughout the year: those with minimal sunshine exposure (housebound or institutionalised older people and those wearing clothes that cover most of the skin when outdoors) and population groups with dark skin (such as those with an African, African-Caribbean or south Asian background). All children aged one to four years old and babies not receiving more than 500 millilitres of infant formula a day are also advised to take a daily vitamin D supplement throughout the year.

The Government’s Healthy Start scheme helps to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and young children under four from low-income households. Healthy Start beneficiaries are also eligible for free Healthy Start Vitamins, which contain the recommended amount of vitamin D.