Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the volume of advertising of fast food companies on television after school hours.

We know that despite current advertising restrictions for products high in fat salt or sugar (HFSS) on TV around children’s programming, children’s viewing time peaks between 6-9pm and half of their viewing takes place during adult commercial programming where restrictions on HFSS advertising are weaker.

That is why, in the second chapter of the Government's Childhood Obesity Plan, we committed to consult on introducing a 9pm watershed on TV advertising of HFSS products and similar protection for children viewing adverts online - with the aim of reducing children’s exposure to HFSS advertising, and incentivising sugar and calorie reduction.

We will be launching the consultation at the earliest opportunity.