Oral Answers to Questions

Thelma Walker Excerpts

Tuesday 8th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Patience rewarded. I call Thelma Walker.

[Thelma Walker (Colne Valley) (Lab)]

Does the Minister agree that eating a nutritionally balanced meal can reduce snacking between meals and therefore help to reduce childhood obesity? If so, will he speak to his colleagues in the Department for Education and ask them to ensure that the 6,400 children in Kirklees who are set to lose out on a well balance nutritious free school meal do not?

[Steve Brine]

I talk to colleagues across Government all the time. The first round of the child obesity plan—it was maligned earlier—contained many good things, such as the sugary drinks tax. A couple of months ago we launched, with Public Health England, changes in relation to the nutrient profiling of foods marketed to children. That is positive for the hon. Lady’s constituents and for mine.