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Healthy Start Scheme and Welfare Food (Amendment) Regulations 2005

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his Motion. I shall focus on three issues. First, it is good to know that the scheme will soon be up and running, but I share the concern of the noble Baronesses who spoke for the two opposition parties that the choice of Devon and Cornwall is not particularly helpful to some disadvantaged communities, since the majority of them are in metropolitan areas, as well as the concern of the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, regarding diverse ethnic minority communities. Therefore, will the pilot project be for a limited time—six months or a year—before it is introduced nationally? That would be important. Secondly, I congratulate the Government on looking at Schedule 3, on Healthy Start foods. It is a Healthy Start diet, but one or two things seem to be missing. I agree that we should, wherever possible, encourage breastfeeding, and I shall return to that in a moment. However, regarding milk, since we are thinking of children up to the age of four or five, I am surprised that yoghurt and other such foods are not mentioned. They would be very helpful for young children as they are easy to eat and digest and are also very healthy. Regarding breastfeeding, the purpose of the scheme is to assist people who are disadvantaged therefore journalists on the Sunday Times may not be representative of that group. However, if we are to make breastfeeding successful, we need more health visitors and midwives to assist young mothers, as in the case highlighted, to breastfeed. I am concerned that the number of health visitors and midwives is not increasing. Also, the redesign of primary care trusts will make such health professionals even more difficult to find. So how, on the one hand, can we say that we are recommending and encouraging breastfeeding, but on the other hand, the people who will assist young mothers will not be available in the numbers required? Thirdly, there is the matter of outlets. In metropolitan areas where there are disadvantaged communities, outlets are limited. Therefore, will lesser known shops and private shopkeepers be given the opportunity to register as outlets for the scheme? Finally, there is the issue of review and monitoring. Not only is fraud likely, but there is also the possibility that bad habits will start if we do not review the scheme regularly. If the vouchers increase in value, they may not necessarily be used on the foods recommended for a Healthy Start diet.