Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of breastfeeding on a child's educational attainment.

There is emerging evidence demonstrating an association between increased breastfeeding and small improvements in cognitive outcomes. However, as the evidence base is currently insufficiently robust to prove causation, no specific assessment has been made.

The Government has announced a £50 million investment in breastfeeding support through the £302 million allocated to Family Hubs and Start for Life to enable 75 local authorities to design and develop infant feeding services according to local needs. We will evaluate the impact of Start for Life services and monitor data on longer-term outcomes, including educational attainment.