Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase public understanding of diabetes and its symptoms.

Change4Life, Public Health England’s (PHE) social marketing programme aimed at families with children aged 5 to 11 gives advice about healthy lifestyles in order to lower the risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, some cancers and heart disease. More than 2.7 million people have engaged with the campaign.

PHE is currently developing a social marketing campaign for adults about improving their own health, encouraging them to make a number of lifestyle changes including taking more exercise, improving diet, stopping smoking and reducing alcohol consumption.

The Department, building on the National Diabetes Prevention Programme, has committed to improving the outcomes for those with and at risk of diabetes. We will announce our plans in due course.