Asked by: Lord Mawhinney (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 11 August (HL1282), whether they consider that supermarkets currently offer sufficient levels of sugar-free and sugar-reduced items; what impact they consider an increase in the availability of such items would have on obesity levels in the United Kingdom; whether they have any plans to intervene more strongly than the current voluntary arrangements in order to increase the availability of such items; and if not, why not.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Through the Government’s voluntary partnership with industry, eight supermarket chains are currently signed up to the calorie reduction pledge and are taking actions to enable their customers to consume fewer calories. Five of these supermarkets are taking direct action to either cut sugar or provide sugar-free or sugar-reduced products.
Ten supermarket chains have committed to provide clear information on the front of food and drink products, including sugar content.
The Government is committed to reducing overweight and obesity through a range of actions involving consumers and a wide range of stakeholders. The role of industry in continuing to reduce calories, including sugar, through the voluntary partnership is a key component of the Government’s approach.
The final report of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition on Carbohydrates and Health and Public Health England evidence and advice on sugar reduction, both due in Spring 2015, will inform the Government’s next steps.
Asked by: Lord Mawhinney (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 17 July (WA 144–5), whether the Minister will now provide a substantive answer to the question.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Secretary of State met with Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco on 7 October 2013 to discuss voluntary arrangements to help their customers’ adopt a healthier diet, including action to reduce their sugar intake. Other major retailers were unable to attend.
In addition, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health (Jane Ellison) visited a Tesco store on 13 March 2014, with regard in particular to diabetes.
Asked by: Lord Mawhinney (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 17 July (WA 145), which supermarkets have signed up to the calorie reduction pledge; what action each has taken to demonstrate its commitment to the pledge; who is responsible for monitoring the behaviour of supermarkets with reference to the pledge; and whether any sanction exists for failure to adhere to the pledge.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Eight supermarket chains have committed to take voluntary action to support and enable their customers to eat and drink fewer calories. A table giving each supermarket chain’s calorie reduction pledge annual returns for 2013 and 2014 has been placed in the Library.
Annual returns provided by companies are published on the Responsibility Deal website each summer. An independent evaluation of the whole Responsibility Deal is under way. The Department does not monitor the returns against delivery plans. If a company fails to provide an annual return it may be removed as a signatory to that pledge.
Asked by: Lord Mawhinney (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was spent by commissioners on community health services in 2012–13; what percentage of that sum was spent on care provided by independent service providers; and how that percentage compares with the comparable percentage in the previous year.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The information requested is provided in the following tables.
Year | Total spend on Community Services (National Health Service and non-NHS providers) |
£ Million | |
2011-12 | 9,119 |
2012-13 | 9,749 |
|
|
Year | Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs) | Other Private Sector Providers | Voluntary Sector | Other e.g. Local Authority (LA) |
Percentage of total spend | Percentage of total spend | Percentage of total spend | Percentage of total spend | |
2011-12 | 0.33% | 14.08% | 1.85% | 9.79% |
2012-13 | 0.39% | 17.72% | 1.91% | 11.01% |
Source: PCT Audited Summarisation Schedules 2006-07 to 2012-13
Notes:
The expenditure details spend on community health services except community services for learning difficulties, mental illness and maternity.
Information is collected on expenditure on ‘non-NHS bodies’ which includes LAs, voluntary and independent sector providers.
In terms of this data, non-NHS bodies are defined as ISTCs, Other Private Sector Providers, Voluntary Sector bodies and Other. The ‘Other’ category includes LAs and Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland NHS bodies.
Asked by: Lord Mawhinney (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the proportion of foods available on supermarket shelves which are labelled (1) sugar free, (2) sugar reduced, and (3) no sugar added.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
This information is not held by the Department.
Through the Public Health Responsibility Deal calorie reduction pledge, the Government encourages retailers to support and enable their customers to eat and drink fewer calories through a range of actions, which can include shifting the marketing mix towards lower calorie options.
Currently eight supermarket chains are signed up the calorie reduction pledge and are taking actions to enable their customers to eat and drink fewer calories, and ten supermarket chains are signed up to provide clear information on the front of food and drink products, including sugar content.
Asked by: Lord Mawhinney (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when a minister last met with representatives of supermarkets in respect of their encouraging suppliers to increase the number of sugar free, sugar reduced and no sugar added foods available to customers.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Details of all Ministerial meetings with external parties are published quarterly in arrears on the Department's website. The latest publication which covers meetings up until December 2013 can be found on the Department's website:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-external-meetings-2012-to-2013?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Eight supermarket chains are currently signed up the Public Health Responsibility Deal calorie reduction pledge and are taking actions to enable their customers to eat and drink fewer calories.