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Written Question
Healthy Start Scheme: Pregnancy
Wednesday 5th July 2023

Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide a full list of documents that pregnant women applying for Healthy Start can submit as proof of pregnancy.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Business Services Authority deliver the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Pregnant applicants need to self-declare their pregnancy in the application form, no further documents are required as proof of pregnancy.


Written Question
School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme: Finance
Friday 28th October 2022

Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to enabling local authorities to have a role, on an initial pilot basis, in allocating funding from the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme in their area.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No specific assessment has been made. The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is operated by a private contractor on behalf of the Department. Seasonal produce is used as part of the scheme and organic produce may be used.


Written Question
School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme
Friday 28th October 2022

Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to a reformed School Fruit and Vegetable scheme to (1) strengthen local procurement strategies, and (2) enhance the supply of (a) seasonal, or (b) organic, produce to schools.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No specific assessment has been made. The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is operated by a private contractor on behalf of the Department. Seasonal produce is used as part of the scheme and organic produce may be used.


Written Question
School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme: Finance
Friday 28th October 2022

Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential merits of enabling local or regional authorities to influence or control the allocation of School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme budgets for their area.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No specific assessment has been made. The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is operated by a private contractor on behalf of the Department. Seasonal produce is used as part of the scheme and organic produce may be used.


Written Question
Healthy Start Scheme
Wednesday 9th March 2022

Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to establish an automatic opt-in to Healthy Start vouchers via (1) doctors surgeries, and (2) other points of contact, for those receiving benefits who are (a) pregnant, or (b) have young children; and if so, when they intend to implement such plans.

Answered by Lord Kamall

All applicants must apply to the Healthy Start scheme in line with legislation, where they meet the eligibility criteria. All successful applicants must also agree to the terms and conditions of the new pre-paid card prior to receiving it. The NHS Business Services Authority is therefore unable to automatically enrol all families onto the Healthy Start scheme.


Written Question
Healthy Start Scheme
Wednesday 9th March 2022

Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable recipients of Healthy Start coupons to use their prepaid cards online to purchase items that are covered by the scheme.

Answered by Lord Kamall

All beneficiaries with a prepaid card can use it in all retailers which accept Mastercard payments and sell the permitted Healthy Start food items. There are no current plans to extend this online.


Written Question
Food: Advertising
Wednesday 6th March 2019

Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to adopt and implement the Mayor of London’s junk food advertising ban across Transport for London elsewhere in England.

Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford

We will shortly be launching a consultation on further advertising restrictions which will consider a range of options aimed at reducing children’s exposure to advertising of high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products. We will consider all responses to the consultation.

We are also delivering a trailblazer programme working with local authorities to address childhood obesity. The programme will help us to learn and share what works at local level and explore the barriers to tackling childhood obesity locally and the limits of existing powers. For some local authorities, applying further restrictions on HFSS advertising to children locally is a priority.


Written Question
Take-away Food: Delivery Services
Wednesday 6th March 2019

Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enforce standards of health and hygiene on online takeaway delivery companies.

Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford

Local authorities in the United Kingdom are responsible for undertaking inspections and other interventions to check that food businesses are complying with food law requirements and for enforcing these where this is not the case.

As for other food businesses, those selling or supplying food they produce via online sales platforms and those businesses delivering food ordered via the internet have a legal responsibility to register with their local authority. The business is then included in the authority’s planned programme of risk-based inspections and interventions and enforcement action will be taken as appropriate where legal requirements are not being met.

How food is sold or supplied over the internet has become increasingly diverse and complex and this poses challenges in relation to determining if an enterprise meets the legal definition of a food business and what its responsibilities are. The Food Standards Agency has recognised this and is committed to providing guidance for local authorities and for internet businesses so that public health and consumer protection are maintained.


Written Question
Nurses: Diabetes
Wednesday 6th March 2019

Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of registered nurses in England who have Type 2 diabetes.

Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford

The information requested is not centrally held.


Written Question
Food: Advertising
Tuesday 5th March 2019

Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when the results of the consultation announced in Childhood obesity: a plan for action chapter 2, published in June 2018, on the introduction of a watershed for TV advertising of High in Fat, Salt or Sugar (HFSS) products and similar protection for children viewing adverts for HFSS products online will be published.

Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford

We will shortly be launching the consultation on introducing a 9pm watershed for products high in fat, salt and sugar on TV and similar protection for children viewing adverts online. We will consider all responses to the consultation before setting out the next steps later in the year.