Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Ruane Excerpts

Thursday 14th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

There will be no additional cost to the Government on top of the existing budget for special advisers.

[Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd) (Lab)]

8. What assessment he has made of the potential effects of advertising aimed at children on (a) childhood obesity and (b) children’s mental health.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (Mr Edward Vaizey)]

No assessment has been made. The rules on advertising content standards are the responsibility of the independent regulators—the Advertising Standards Authority and Ofcom. It is for those regulators to assess the sort of material that is appropriate for different audiences.

[Chris Ruane]

Half the adverts aimed at children encourage them to gorge on junk food and become obese, while the other half extol the virtues of size zero. Is it any wonder that 20% of children suffer with mental illness? Will the Minister look at the example of Sweden, which has banned advertising aimed at the under-12s?