Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the joint report by Barnardo's and the Co-op A recipe for success: How do children and young people want to access food in their communities?, published in September, what steps they will take (1) to make food available to young people in existing after-school clubs and youth services, including in Family Hubs and the proposed Young Futures Hubs, and (2) to work with the retail sector to promote and incentivise healthy food choices for young people, particularly 16 and 17 year-olds.

The government is committed to ensuring healthy food is available to young people and recognises the importance of nutritious food to support their growth and development.

Food provision is an optional element of existing after school clubs, and many childcare providers supply food as part of their offer. After school clubs operating on school premises are required to meet the School Food Standards, which regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day, to ensure a balanced diet. Once rolled out nationally, the government’s new breakfast clubs will provide healthy food to start the day in every school with primary age pupils.

More widely, the government is committed to delivering its plan for the healthiest generation ever, including working to promote healthy food choices for young people through the voluntary sugar reduction programme and the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. The voluntary sugar reduction programme works with retailers, and other parts of the food industry, to reduce sugar levels in foods that contribute most to the sugar intake of children and the Soft Drinks Industry Levy is a tax applied to producers and importers of added sugar soft drinks that contain 5g total sugar per 100ml or more.

The government is clear we need a resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports British farmers. The government will be considering the role of place-based initiatives, including Local Food Partnerships, as we develop our plans to support our farmers and food and drink businesses, boost food security, invest in rural communities, deliver growth, manage waste more effectively across the supply chain, improve resilience to climate change and tackle biodiversity loss.