To ask the Minister of Health whether he is planning to introduce a Baby Box scheme, following its successful implementation in Scotland.

I recognise the worthy aims of the some baby box schemes – to reduce inequality and give every baby the best start in life. However, it is not simply a matter of deciding to introduce or not introduce such a policy; there are other aspects for consideration.

There were concerns raised in 2018, when the baby box was being introduced to the UK, from a number of quarters including medical professionals and cot death charities. These concerns included lack of evaluation around whether the baby boxes do actually reduce the risk of infant death, compared to using a crib or Moses basket, for example. Baby boxes originated in Finland and, while the rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) are low there, they are also low in its neighbouring countries where the baby box is not distributed.

Perhaps most importantly, this item still lacks the license of a British Safety Standard which, according to the most recent update from the British Safety Institute in April 2021, is still in development.

To that end, in light of these issues, I am not intending to introduce a baby box scheme at this time.