Alcohol: Children’s Health

Lord Robathan Excerpts

Monday 3rd April 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord O’Shaughnessy]

The noble Lord is not quite right on that. Public Health England’s evidence review identified a negative impact, and that constitutes research. It looked at the evidence, which is that advertising and marketing to young people has a negative impact on their drinking behaviours. There are stringent rules, particularly around advertising, which is policed by the Advertising Standards Authority, to make sure that that does not happen.

[Lord Robathan (Con)]

My Lords, while we all wish to see responsible supermarket advertising, is it not the case that law already exists to prevent the sale of alcohol to children? Surely this law should be enforced and parents held responsible if their children are drinking illegally.

[Lord O’Shaughnessy]

As my noble friend points out, there are very strict rules around the sale of alcohol to children under the age of 18, and tough punishments exist for anyone who is doing so.

Obesity

Lord Robathan Excerpts

Thursday 26th May 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

My Lords, I think that the announcement of the sugar levy on sugary drinks has meant that that part of the industry has been forewarned of what is coming in the strategy. Already there are signs from some of the manufacturers that they are reformulating their products—which is the whole purpose of a levy rather than a tax.

[Lord Robathan (Con)]

My Lords, would my noble friend not agree that our noble friend Lady Jenkin is quite right to stress individual responsibility, which the Government must encourage? Of course there should be education, but individual responsibility will lead to people losing weight.

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

My Lords, of course my noble friend is right that individual responsibility is critical to this. But we have to make it easy for people to make the right choices by providing the right information. Particularly for children, we have to make it easier for them and their parents to make the right choice.

Health: Treatment Rationing

Lord Robathan Excerpts

Tuesday 26th April 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

My Lords, I cannot answer the noble Lord’s question now, but I agree to his request to write to him and will place a copy of my letter in the Library.

[Lord Robathan (Con)]

Does the Minister not agree that everybody in this country must know that smoking and being overweight are bad for them? Does he not think that individuals should be encouraged to take greater personal responsibility for their health, rather than less?

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

There is clearly a balance between the obligations of individuals to take responsibility for themselves and the obligation of society to help people to do so. Getting that balance right has characterised the success we have had in reducing smoking in this country and which I hope we will have in reducing obesity as well.

Sugar Tax

Lord Robathan Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd February 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

My Lords, as the noble Baroness will know, there are plans for later this year to have compulsory labelling of sugar content on packaging. However, I am not aware that there are any plans to have pictures of well-known athletes on the packaging as well.

[Lord Robathan (Con)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the issue of obesity, which is indeed a scourge, is largely one of individual and, in the case of children, parental responsibility?

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

My noble friend is partly right. It is of course a matter of individual and parental responsibility, but I think we have an obligation in our country to make the right choice as easy as possible, and for too many people the wrong choice is far too easy to make.