How we’re going to help parents make informed choices on baby formula - Wes Streeting

My Dad has worked hard all his life and when my parents separated, my Mum relied on his support and social security to get by. Decades later, too many families still face the same struggles. Across the country, around 2.6 million children are growing up in households without enough food, and last year 1.1 million families relied on food banks to get by. Perhaps most shocking of all, three quarters of children in poverty now come from working families - parents doing everything right, yet still unable to provide the basics. The Yorkshire Children’s Charity has identified well over 2,000 children in critical need of help just to stay warm this winter, a stark reminder that child poverty is not an abstract concept but a daily reality in our towns and cities. I want to thank the Yorkshire Children's Charity, charities working tirelessly across the county, and The Yorkshire Post for shining a light on these issues. One of the most acute pressures new parents experience is the soaring cost of essentials, such as baby formula. For mothers who cannot, or choose not, to breastfeed, baby formula is an essential item. For these families, it is vital they have access to affordable infant formula products. Some formula brands have risen by as much as 25 per cent in just two years. Parents, wanting the best for their babies, are often pushed towards expensive products through a feeling of guilt that cheaper products are not as good, or because misleading labelling tells them that. Yet every baby formula product sold in the UK meets strict standards, ensuring they are nutritionally sufficient for babies. No family should feel guilt for choosing what is affordable. Parents deserve honesty, not misleading claims that play on anxiety. This is why the action this government is taking matters. We will be supporting parents and carers to make better-informed decisions by making sure they have access to clear product information in healthcare and retail settings, so they can buy the lower price formula that's right for them. And we are clarifying the guidance to retailers, to make sure you can use gift cards, vouchers, loyalty points, and coupons that can help you cut costs when buying baby formula. Swapping from the most expensive product on the market to the cheapest, could save parents up to £540 in the first year of a baby’s life. These practical steps can make a real difference for households already counting every pound. Tackling child poverty is a moral mission for this government. It's why, through our Child Poverty Strategy, we are removing the two-child limit on Universal Credit, which could benefit around 154,000 children in Yorkshire and the Humber living in households affected by the policy and reduce relative child poverty nationally by 450,000 at the end of the decade. Alongside this sits expanded free school meals and breakfast clubs, further investment in childcare, a higher minimum wage, and strengthened family hubs to provide early support. This is about fairness, opportunity and unlocking potential. It is about making sure no child’s future is determined by their postcode, and that no parent feels powerless in the face of rising costs. Every child deserves the best possible start in life, and every family deserves the dignity of being able to care for their children without breaking the bank. That means addressing the economic pressures Yorkshire families know all too well: low wages, rising rents, the cost of heating, and health inequalities placing additional burdens on already stretched households. It's why we're bringing in record investment into our NHS and modernising it so it’s fit for the 21st century. While there's a long road ahead, we're already making progress, with waiting lists down, GP satisfaction up and around 193,000 more patients getting a cancer diagnosis or the all-clear on time in the last 12 months compared to the previous year. By supporting the wellbeing of readers and campaigning for families across the region, The Yorkshire Post has shown what responsible journalism looks like. Together, we can nurture the healthiest generation ever – in Yorkshire and beyond.