This year’s Cleft Lip and Palate Awareness Week is taking place from Saturday 3rd to Sunday 11th May.

The annual event, run by the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA), is dedicated to raising awareness and supporting the thousands of people affected by cleft lip and palate across the UK.

As this year’s week gets underway, Douglas Alexander MP is joining parliamentary colleagues to support the charity’s awareness-raising campaign.

Each year, around 1,200 babies are born in the UK with a cleft lip and/or palate that is roughly three every day. CLAPA provides vital services – from information and emotional support to peer networks and campaigning – to ensure no one has to face their cleft journey alone.

Despite being one of the most common congenital conditions, awareness and understanding of cleft lip and palate remain low — which can make a difficult journey even harder for families.

Cleft affects families in every constituency and region across Scotland, and CLAPA is working with politicians from all parties to help improve understanding and support.

Douglas Alexander MP said: