A couple of weeks back, I posted about the proposed legislation to
protect breastfeeding in public in England and Wales. At the time, I
posted links to the consultation paper, but couldn't find the
breastfeeding bit. I asked anyone who did find them, to let me know.
Turns out there was no bit about breastfeeding. Hence me and my hubby
not being able to find them (I'm glad I wasn't being as thick as I
thought I was, just not working out which section they were in).
So, the UK Gov have, in fact, been asking for comments on the proposed
legislation, without mentioning what the proposed legislation is. And
you think I make up the stuff about asylum policy and people not knowing
their left hand from their right, don't you? ;-)
This past week, some newspapers have run reports that the breastfeeding
bit is six months. This is based on briefings by UK Gov to the
newspapers, but nothing is yet in writing. So, there is a situation
where you can comment on the proposed bill, on breastfeeding, without
actually knowing what the proposed bill states about breastfeeding.
But the rumour is six months.
Now, anyone can leave a comment on the proposed bill here:
http://www.commonsleader.gov.uk/output/page2438.asp#make_comment
The bill is a bits and bobs bill, with huge areas of coverage - so the
comments cover everything from transgender to caring for aged
relatives. And I can't seem read them in date order, so I don't know
how many breastfeeding ones have been added as a result of this 'six
months' thing this past week.
Apart from the fact that six months is just catastrophically bad, and
will harm breastfeeding in public (but that baby away, it's six months
and one day old) this is actually UK wide legislation. So although
Scotland has it's own legislation to protect breastfeeding up to 2
years, this technically supercedes it.
Oh joy.
Morgan Gallagher
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