Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what provisions will be included in the new obesity strategy to increase opportunities for exercise.
Answered by Jo Churchill
We published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ on 27 July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what meetings he has had with (a) Ministers, (b) officials in other Departments, (c) NHS England, (d) patients and (e) other stakeholders on the development of a new plan to reduce obesity prevalence.
Answered by Jo Churchill
We published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ on 27 July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
Our policies are informed by the latest research and emerging evidence, including from debates in Parliament and various reports from key stakeholders including the Health and Social Care Select Committee. We have also captured analysis from the National Institute for Health Research Obesity Policy Research Unit, which was established as part of our initial childhood obesity plan, through £5 million investment over five years.
There are ongoing discussions between Ministers and officials as part of developing and delivering the obesity programme.
‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ is available at the following link:
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government has made on implementing the recommendations set out in Chapter 2 of its Childhood Obesity Plan since the publication of that plan in June 2018; and if he will make a statement on the timescale for completing the implementation of those recommendations.
Answered by Jo Churchill
We published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ on 27 July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
We are also delivering the Childhood Obesity Trailblazer Programme working with five local authorities to reduce child obesity locally through ground-breaking schemes. A key part of the programme is to share this learning with others to encourage and empower wider local action across the country.
‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ is available at the following link:
Asked by: Laura Farris (Conservative - Newbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to communicate the importance of a healthy and balanced diet to the general public.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Government supports behaviour change through the Eatwell guide, catering guidance, its social marketing campaigns, the reduction and reformulation programme and providing advice to the consumer through the National Health Service website to promote making the healthier choice, the easiest choice.
We published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ on 27 July. This strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the NHS. The strategy is available at the following link:
Public Health England also launched Better Health, a campaign which helps people to make healthier choices by providing the most up to date evidence based healthy eating and physical activity advice including calorie intakes, portions of fruit and vegetables and recommended physical activity levels. As well as teaching skills to prevent weight gain and providing helpful tools like balanced recipes and the Food Scanner app which helps shoppers make healthier product choices, Better Health also supports people who wish to lose weight.
Asked by: James Davies (Conservative - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on the development of obesity services in (a) hospitals and (b) communities in areas where such services do not currently exist.
Answered by Jo Churchill
We published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ on 27 July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
In addition, Public Health England has launched the ‘Better Health’ campaign, which will call on people to embrace a healthier lifestyle and to lose weight if they need to, supported by a range of evidence-based tools and apps providing advice on how to reduce the waistline. We will also expand weight management services to help more people get the support they need and through incentives with general practitioners will make conversations about weight in primary care the norm.
‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ is available at the following link:
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement (1) the proposals contained in Childhood obesity: a plan for action - Chapter 2, published in June 2018, and (2) the recommendations relating to childhood obesity outlined in the Green Paper Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s, published in July 2019.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We published Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives on 27 July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
In addition, Public Health England has launched the Better Health campaign, which will call on people to embrace a healthier lifestyle and to lose weight if they need to, supported by a range of evidence-based tools and apps providing advice on how to reduce the waistline.
A copy of Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives is attached.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on people living with obesity, what plans they have to develop a campaign to encourage people to make healthy choices; with whom they have engaged on the development of any such plans; and whether they intend to publish those plans.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We published Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives on 27 July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
In addition, Public Health England has launched the Better Health campaign, which will call on people to embrace a healthier lifestyle and to lose weight if they need to, supported by a range of evidence-based tools and apps providing advice on how to reduce the waistline.
A copy of Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives is attached.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the long-term economic merits of supporting children to have a safe, happy and healthy childhood.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department’s vision is to provide world-class education, training and care to make sure that everyone has the chance to reach their potential and live a more fulfilled life. This will create a more productive economy, so that our country is fit for the future.
For example, one of the department’s priorities is to improve our understanding of child wellbeing and happiness. Beginning in 2019, the government will publish a State of the Nation report every year on World Mental Health Day. This report will highlight the trends and issues in young people’s mental well-being - the first time children’s mental health will be reported in this way, alongside their physical health and academic attainment. The government will also provide tools to help schools measure their students’ health, including their mental wellbeing - building on the commitment to make education in mental health and resilience a compulsory part of the curriculum. Further information on these announcements can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-pledges-action-on-suicide-to-mark-world-mental-health-day.
The department has also announced it is developing an activity passport - a template intended to provide ideas to schools to support their efforts to encourage young people to try a wider range of activities and develop new interests.
Further details on how the department will ensure that education builds character, resilience and well-being is provided in our single departmental plan, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-single-departmental-plan/may-2018-department-for-education-single-departmental-plan.
Nothing is more important than safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. This is why we have strengthened local safeguarding arrangements through the Children and Social Work Act (2017) by placing a duty on the safeguarding partners, - the police, health and the local authority - to work together to make plans to keep children safe. As part of this we have consulted on and updated the ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ statutory guidance.
All children deserve a safe environment in which they can learn and schools and colleges are under a legislative duty to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of their pupils. We recently consulted on and strengthened the ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, statutory guidance for schools. We also provide a range of advice documents to support schools and colleges to keep their children safe, including sexual harassment and sexual violence advice, bullying advice and behaviour advice.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he had made of the effectiveness of restrictions on food and drink advertising.
Answered by Margot James
We are committed to tackling childhood obesity and supporting people to make healthy choices.
Strict new rules came into effect on 1 July 2017 banning the advertising of HFSS food or drink products in children’s media. These restrictions apply across all non-broadcast media including in print, cinema, online and in social media.
In addition in August 2017 we announced £5 million investment in a policy research unit on obesity to provide a robust evidence, evaluation and research capability including looking at advertising and promotions.
Advertising is regulated by the independent Advertising Standards Authority and underpinned by consumer protection legislation. This system is independent of the Government. It is vital that the advertising codes reflect the best available evidence of the effect of advertising on the public, and are periodically reviewed to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to review the (a) scope and (b) effectiveness of guidelines on advertising in relation to junk food marketing.
Answered by Margot James
We are committed to tackling childhood obesity and supporting people to make healthy choices.
Strict new rules came into effect on 1 July 2017 banning the advertising of HFSS food or drink products in children’s media. These restrictions apply across all non-broadcast media including in print, cinema, online and in social media.
In addition in August 2017 we announced £5 million investment in a policy research unit on obesity to provide a robust evidence, evaluation and research capability including looking at advertising and promotions.
Advertising is regulated by the independent Advertising Standards Authority and underpinned by consumer protection legislation. This system is independent of the Government. It is vital that the advertising codes reflect the best available evidence of the effect of advertising on the public, and are periodically reviewed to ensure they remain fit for purpose.