NICOLA Sturgeon hit back at critics of a flagship policy and accused the Tories of trying to create a panic over the safety of the Scottish Government’s baby boxes.

Reports in the Guardian over the last two days have questioned the suitability of the box as somewhere infants can sleep – with an expert telling the paper there was no evidence they reduced cot deaths.

At Holyrood yesterday, Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs launched an attack on the cardboard cribs, asking the First Minister “to set out in full all the advice that the Government has received from experts on the safety of the boxes” and to “confirm whether they have been accredited in full by the British Standards Institution”.

Sturgeon said the Tories “should be ashamed” for “needlessly trying to frighten parents”. The SNP leader said all safety certificates had been published some months ago.

“I don’t believe Miles Briggs doesn’t know that,” she added. “The question therefore is why is he trying to wilfully mislead people about that.

“The baby box conforms to all relevant safety standards. There isn’t yet a specific British standard for baby boxes, but the baby box conforms to the standards in place for a crib or a cradle for domestic use.

“That includes passing all the necessary stability, static loading and strength safety tests.”

Sturgeon added that, contrary to reports, the box had passed all flammability tests, and said there were very clear instructions inside not to put the cardboard cot beside an open fire.

“I hope that helps to allay, if not the concerns of the Tories, then any concerns the Tories might have caused in the minds of parents,” she said. “I just wonder, what is it about the baby box that so offends the Conservatives?.

“Is it just because it’s SNP policy? Or is it because it’s giving state support to families when the Tories’ preference is to take that away from families. Or is it because we haven’t insisted on a rape clause for eligibility for the baby box?

“The baby box is a good thing and the Tories should stop unfairly criticising it.”

Sturgeon later took to Twitter to criticise a further Guardian article which said Finland had taken issue with claims made by Scotland that temporary cribs can reduce infant mortality.

Kela, the Finnish social security agency which runs the scheme in that country, told the paper: “We don’t want to promote the idea that there is evidence the baby box as such has decreased infant mortality in Finland or that Finland has made such claims.

“Rather, it has been the improving of our healthcare system of which the baby box is a part of, that our low infant mortality can be attributed to. Empirical data on the effect of the maternity package on infant mortality does not exist.”

Sturgeon tweeted: “Having had yesterday’s claims rebutted @GdnScotland has moved on.

“The journalist – as is obvious from his first para and despite this being pointed out – is conflating cot death and infant mortality more generally. @scotgov has never claimed baby boxes reduce cot death ...

“As the Finnish agency says ‘it has been the improving of our healthcare system, of which the baby box is a part of, that our low infant mortality can be attributed to.’ Likewise in Scotland the baby box is part of a wider range of support for new parents ...

“Finally, @scotgov provided a quote to @GdnScotland making these points – strangely it is missing from this piece.

The First Minister also retweeted a Finnish academic who said: “Tens of thousands of Finnish small babies have slept in these boxes (including mine) over tens of years. These doubts are laughable. (Cot death is a different matter, tho.)”

Sturgeon’s earlier rape clause remarks upset the sensibilities of some of the Tory MSPs. “Rape should never be used as a cheap punchline,” tweeted Annie Wells.

The rape clause was brought in with the two-child limit on Tax Credits and Universal Credit.

One of the few ways for a mother to get an exemption to the cap is to fill in an eight-page form, and tell a government representative that one of their children is the product of rape.

Wells has previously defended the rape clause, calling it “sensitive”.