The template Council Motion below comes from the Liberal Democrat group in Hull – who moved this motion to call on the Government to review regulations on the baby formula market and make formula more affordable.
Current regulations prohibit discounts, reductions, loyalty card offers and deals on baby formula. At the same baby formula has been hit particularly hard by inflation and costs have increased dramatically – by over a quarter in the past 2 years as this BBC article explains.
The charity Feed has launched a petition calling for these changes and you can find out more information here. You can also find the full original motion from Hull Lib Dems here.
You can copy the template motion below:
Council notes the campaign from the group “Feed” to “allow UK families to spend store points and gift cards on infant formula”. This is due to Government regulation of the baby formula market which doesn’t allow for loyalty points or gift cards to be used when buying baby formula. It further notes that regulations also prohibit discounts, reductions and two-for-one sales on baby formula.
Council notes that the Healthy Start allowance allows only £8.50 per week to meet the cost of formula. At the time of writing this motion, none of the major supermarkets offer a tin of formula at, or below, this price.
Council believes that the regulation of this market has an adverse effect on the poorest in society who rely on making purchases during discount periods to make ends meet. Council notes that not all parents are able to breastfeed meaning that they have no choice but to bottle feed.
Council believes that the Government needs to increase the healthy start allowance to £10 per week.
Council resolves to:
- Ask all [COUNCIL NAME] Councillors to support the campaign where they can.
- Request the Leader, along with the relevant Portfolio Holders, to write to the Government demanding that the healthy start allowance be raised to £10 per week.
- In the same letter, ask that the Government launch a review of the regulations of the baby formula market so that unnecessary regulation, such as the prohibition on the use of loyalty points, could be removed.