Advertising Restrictions on Less Healthy Food

Baroness Benjamin Excerpts

Monday 14th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

What absolutely terrifies me is how I can remember the jingles from so many adverts from when I was a child. I am not sure if I did any revision for exams or not—I cannot remember any of that, but I remember that Smash was going to transform our lives. My noble friend will be aware of the curriculum review that is taking place. There is enormous interest in the whole area of domestic sciences, as well as food, and in the introduction and expansion of best start family hubs. It is about educating the whole family to make sure that we can move forward.

[Baroness Benjamin (LD)]

My Lords, in 2007, foods high in fats and sugar were banned during children’s TV broadcasting. Children are still obese, so that did not work, but it did affect children’s programming. What are the Government doing to promote ways for children to eat healthily that are affordable and environmentally sustainable and to offer food that tastes as good as it looks?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

The noble Baroness is right, and I have alluded to this in my previous answers. The issue of tackling obesity is multilayered and complex. We have the evidence based on experience that working with families and creating excitement around healthy food is incredibly important. One of the most important things we have done, just in the last week or so, is announce mandatory healthy food sales reporting, making sure that shops take responsibility. It is heartbreaking walking into big supermarkets and seeing the amount of shelving space dedicated to attracting young people that, quite frankly, does not live up to healthy eating standards.