Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to restrict the promotion of unhealthy food and drink products; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing fiscal measures to support the production of high-quality food and drink products.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to tackling the childhood obesity crisis, which includes taking action on the promotion and advertising of less healthy products to children.
The Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021 restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drink products. The location promotions restrictions came into force in England in October 2022 and the volume price promotions are due to come into force in October 2025.
We have committed to implementing the advertising restrictions regulations set out in the Communications Act 2003 on less healthy food and drink products without further delay. The regulations introduce a 9pm watershed for the advertisement of less healthy food or drink products on television and a total restriction of paid-for advertising of these products online will come into force across the United Kingdom on 1 October 2025.
The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) places a tax on manufacturers and importers of soft drinks with added sugar and with a total sugar content of 5 grams sugar per 100 millilitres or more. It has so far reduced the sugar content of drinks in scope of the Levy by 46% between 2015 and 2020, removing approximately 46,000 tonnes of sugar. The reductions have had equal benefit across all socio-economic groups. As well as translating to reductions in intakes in most age groups, these reductions have also been linked to the prevention of around 5000 cases of obesity in girls in the last year of primary school and reductions in children’s admissions to hospital for caries related tooth extractions.
As with all taxes, the Government keeps the SDIL under review. Decisions about the future development of taxes are made by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in line with the Government’s tax policy-making framework.
Mentions:
1: Gibson, Kenneth (SNP - Cunninghame North) You have talked about care, but obviously there is a very strong interaction between health and care - Speech Link
2: None spend for health and social care partnerships, which comes out in the finance circular every year. - Speech Link
3: None of teachers, for example, that ultimately has an impact on the number of social workers, care staff - Speech Link
4: Mason, John (Ind - Glasgow Shettleston) When I sat on the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, submissions to us said that, in this - Speech Link
5: None However, because there is a certain level of vacancies in social care across the Highlands and Islands - Speech Link
Aug. 07 2024
Source Page: NHS England update on work to transform gender identity servicesFound: with the National Institute for Health and Care Research establishing a programme of work to explore
Jun. 20 2024
Source Page: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2024 to 2025 budgetFound: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2024 to 2025 budget
Written Evidence Oct. 16 2024
Inquiry: Skills for the future: apprenticeships and trainingFound: SFF0089 - Skills for the future: apprenticeships and training Recruitment and Employment Confederation
Mentions:
1: Robertson, Angus (SNP - Edinburgh Central) the proposal for a ticket levy to alleviate those and to help build a sustainable live music ecosystem - Speech Link
2: Somerville, Shirley-Anne (SNP - Dunfermline) It includes a range of services working together across childcare, education, health and social care, - Speech Link
3: Minto, Jenni (SNP - Argyll and Bute) This model of neonatal care is supported by a range of stakeholders and clinicians. - Speech Link
4: Minto, Jenni (SNP - Argyll and Bute) It is incredibly important to ensure the safety and health of the smallest and sickest babies. - Speech Link
5: Roddick, Emma (SNP - Highlands and Islands) care, safety and advice, even if, sadly, that is not at home. - Speech Link
Jun. 06 2024
Source Page: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2022 to 2023 - third releaseFound: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2022 to 2023 - third release
Written Evidence Oct. 16 2024
Inquiry: Skills for the future: apprenticeships and trainingFound: SFF0062 - Skills for the future: apprenticeships and training The Association of Colleges (AoC) Written
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department (a) paid in apprenticeship levy fees and (b) spent from its apprenticeship levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Department has contributed £1,013,354 in levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023. During the same period, the Department spent £354,742 from the levy fund.
Found: Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [HL]: HL Bill