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 offer plant-based milk alternatives (a) in the Nursery Milk Scheme and (b) through Healthy Start Vouchers.

At present the legislation governing the Healthy Start scheme and the Nursery Milk Scheme allows for the purchase or reimbursement of the cost of cow’s milk and infant formula based on cow’s milk. The Department is currently considering this position.

Beneficiaries can use Healthy Start to purchase extra fruit and vegetables if they are unable to drink cow’s milk or infant formula based on cow’s milk. Infant formulas can be prescribed by general practitioners for a range of clinical indications.