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The World Health Organisation (WHO) wants government action over escalating baby formula prices that are “exploiting” British families.

In an interview with Sky News, WHO called out the “profit-driven” multinational manufacturers for “manipulating the price” of their baby formulas.

The most recent research shows prices in the UK have risen 24% over the past two years, while the cheapest brand has jumped by 45% in that time.

WHO has urged governments to intervene on behalf of struggling families and find a way of reducing the prices in the shops.

In May, Sky News uncovered the desperate measures many parents are taking to feed their babies including stealing formula, buying on the black market, watering down bottles or substituting formula for condensed milk.

WHO technical officer, Laurence Grummer-Strawn, told Sky News: “It is shocking to be seeing a high income country like the UK facing these kinds of problems where mothers can’t afford to feed their babies.”

When asked if it amounted to exploitation, Mr Grummer-Strawn said: “Yes, I think we can say that when you see that these prices are being driven down to the consumers and having to pay extremely high prices.

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“They’re in a very vulnerable situation, that they have infants that have to be fed and there aren’t many alternatives out there for them and there aren’t really other companies they can turn to.

“You’re exploiting them to increase the profits of these companies, and they have huge profit margins.”

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Price of baby formula ‘real crisis’

Speaking about solutions, Mr Grummer-Strawn explained: “We really need government action to address either on the price end or in ways to help those families directly.”

“Lowering the prices can help these families, but it needs to be in a sustainable way,” he added.

“We have to have government action. To be setting up a situation where people are dependent on these baby banks and food banks to be providing this, that’s not a sustainable way for families to get what they need.”

Baby formula
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Baby formula prices have surged

Baby banks and food banks across the UK have reported a surge in families in need of help – often parents who are in work but are still struggling to afford formula milk and other essentials.

Last month Sky News reported on the rationing that many baby banks said they are now having to introduce because they don’t have enough donated formula to distribute to all those who need it.

Many of the charities have said they are worried the workload is unsustainable.

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Open baby formula sold on Facebook

WHO technical officer, Laurence Grummer-Strawn, speaks to Sky News' national correspondent, Tom Parmenter
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WHO technical officer, Laurence Grummer-Strawn, speaks to Sky News’ national correspondent, Tom Parmenter

Mr Grummer-Strawn added: “I think that what we’re seeing here is largely companies taking advantage of opportunities that other things are getting more expensive, so let’s make ours more expensive as well.

“Our concern is that they’re out to maximise their profits.

“And from a business perspective, and their shareholders, maybe that’s what their shareholders want. They want the highest profit.

“We’re certainly trying to find ways to reach out to investors and say, ‘you know, where’s the ethics in this?’, and try to get investors to think about investing in an ethical way and therefore either don’t invest it in these companies, or choose the companies that are making the most ethical decisions and tell them about the harms of the way that these products are being marketed, the way the prices are being manipulated.”

Read more:
Baby formula theft raised in Commons after Sky News investigation
What can you do if you’re struggling to buy baby formula?

Mr Grummer-Strawn added: “At the heart of this are families simply trying to keep their babies fed when, for whatever reason, their child relies on bottle feeding.

“We really want to make sure we’re not making mothers feel guilty. This is not their fault.”

The problem is, he added, “that the government hasn’t stepped up and supported them in ways that they need to”.

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While most of the main manufacturers did not respond directly when Sky News put WHO’s comments to them, they have all told us higher production costs are the reason for the price rises.

Danone, which makes the Aptamil and Cow & Gate brands, did respond to say it is facing “unprecedented increases in the cost of ingredients, manufacturing, storage and transport”.

A spokesperson said: “Where possible we have always tried to absorb as many of these cost increases as possible.”

Danone added that it does try to help parents but added: “Ultimately, individual retailers set the selling price in their stores for all products.”

Westminster officials have consistently told Sky News that the government is helping with the cost of living but did not respond to WHO’s concerns.

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Jaguar Land Rover to ‘pause’ US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

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Jaguar Land Rover to 'pause' US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.

JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.

Follow live updates: Trump’s baseline 10% tariff kicks in

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”

The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.

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JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.

“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.

Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Read more: A red wall on Wall Street – but Trump seems to believe it will work out

Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.

Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.

In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.

Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.

They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.

The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.

Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.

Two fire crews remain at the scene.

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Boy dies after ‘getting into difficulty’ in lake in southeast London

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Boy dies after 'getting into difficulty' in lake in southeast London

A 15-year-old boy has died after “getting into difficulty” in a lake in southeast London, police say.

Officers and paramedics were called shortly after 3pm on Friday to Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham.

The Metropolitan Police said a boy “was recovered from the lake” at around 10.42pm the same day.

“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious,” according to the force.

The boy’s family has been told and are being supported by specialist officers.

The force originally said the child was 16 years old, but has since confirmed his age as 15.

In the earlier statement, officers said emergency services carried out a search and the park was evacuated.

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google street view inside Beckenham Place park, Lewisham where a 16 y/o boy is missing after getting into difficulty in a lake
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Emergency teams were called to Beckenham Place Park on Friday afternoon

Beckenham Place Park, which borders the London borough of Bromley, covers around 240 acres, according to the park’s website.

The lake is described as 285 metres long, reaching depths of up to 3.5 metres.

It is designed as a swimming lake for open-water swimming and paddle boarding.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said on Friday: “We were called at 3.02pm this afternoon to reports of a person in the water.

“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team.”

Emergency teams have not explained how the boy entered the water, or whether he was accompanied by others.

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