Question reference: S6W-10219
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 9 August 2022
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 29 August 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether the Breastfeeding etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 has changed social attitudes towards breastfeeding.
Answer
The Breastfeeding etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 has shaped our policies to raise awareness of and protect the rights of parents to feed their babies in public. Scotland is the only country in the UK to introduce legislation which specifically protects breastfeeding. It has enabled a more robust response to negative attitudes as we work to normalise breastfeeding.
The Scottish Government carried out a Maternal and infant nutrition survey in 2017 and asked questions on experiences of feeding babies outwith the home. Of those who responded, one in ten felt uncomfortable breastfeeding in public.
We used this evidence to launch the Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland Scheme in 2019, where private businesses and public organisations can sign up to offer a supportive environment for babies to be breastfed. This scheme makes clear it is illegal to prevent someone breastfeeding a child in public in Scotland.
We also restated the importance of the protection offered by this legislation in the 2019 Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland report.
Breastfeeding rates in Scotland have continued to increase year on year, with more than half of all babies (55%) being breastfeed at 10-14 days of age.