Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to carry out research into the impact of ultra-processed foods on public health outcomes.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is currently carrying out a scoping review of the evidence on processed foods and health and aims to publish its initial assessment in the summer of 2023. SACN’s scoping review will make a number of research recommendations in this area. This review will also include evaluating existing classifications of processed foods, including ultra-processed foods and the NOVA classification.
SACN is a committee of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and provides independent scientific advice and risk assessments on nutrition and related health issues. Members of SACN are appointed as independent scientific experts in their field. We are not aware of any plans to agree a definition internationally.
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health including ultra-processed foods. The usual practice of the NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics.
Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with (1) UK medical professionals and scientists, and (2) international partners, about (a) developing, and (b) agreeing, internationally recognised definitions of ultra-processed food.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is currently carrying out a scoping review of the evidence on processed foods and health and aims to publish its initial assessment in the summer of 2023. SACN’s scoping review will make a number of research recommendations in this area. This review will also include evaluating existing classifications of processed foods, including ultra-processed foods and the NOVA classification.
SACN is a committee of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and provides independent scientific advice and risk assessments on nutrition and related health issues. Members of SACN are appointed as independent scientific experts in their field. We are not aware of any plans to agree a definition internationally.
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health including ultra-processed foods. The usual practice of the NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics.
Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people were treated for latent tuberculosis in the UK in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Unlike active tuberculosis (TB), latent TB infection (LTBI) is not a public health risk and is not statutorily notifiable. LTBI treatment records are held locally and because there is no nationally available data, it is not possible to state how many people were treated for latent TB in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.
A systematic latent TB testing and treatment programme for a defined group of individuals is one of the ten key ‘areas for action’ in the Collaborative Tuberculosis Strategy for England 2015 to 2020, and is currently being rolled out. A monitoring and evaluation system for this new programme is being established which aims to collate national data on LTBI and early data has been published in this year’s Tuberculosis in England: 2016 report. The first figures available for the LTBI programme recorded 256 individuals starting latent TB treatment for the time period of April 2015 to July 2016, although this is likely to be an underestimate. Copies of the Tuberculosis in England report and Collaborative Tuberculosis strategy are attached.
Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following publication of their response to the <i>Review on Antimicrobial Resistance</i>, how they will coordinate the work of government across different departments.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The commitments included in the Government response will be incorporated into the United Kingdom antimicrobial resistance programme. The main body overseeing this programme is the UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy High Level Steering Group. This committee is supported by a number of groups such as the AMR Cross Whitehall International Steering Group and by working together, they will ensure a coordinated approach.
Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Public Health England's <i>Tuberculosis in England annual report</i> published on 27 September.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Department of Health welcomes Public Health England’s (PHE) Tuberculosis in England: annual report, which evidences the importance of the ongoing implementation of their national strategy Collaborative Tuberculosis Strategy for England 2015 to 2020. A copy of which is attached. The report contributes to the specific commitments made in the national strategy document, to support the eventual elimination of the disease as a public health problem in England.
The Department recognises the public health importance of tuberculosis (TB) and continues to support PHE, who have made TB one of its main priorities, in giving national policy leadership, ensuring that there is a coordinated approach to TB across all sectors at all levels.
Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish the Childhood Obesity Strategy.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
We will be launching our childhood obesity strategy shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current policy on hepatitis vaccinations in the United Kingdom, in particular the implementation of a universal hepatitis B vaccination as part of the UK childhood immunisation schedule.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The hepatitis B vaccination is currently recommended for individuals considered to be at increased risk of complications from the disease or exposure to the virus such as injecting drug users, patients with chronic liver disease and families adopting children from countries with a high or intermediate prevalence of hepatitis B.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the independent expert committee that advises the government on all immunisation matters, has recommended that a universal infant hepatitis B vaccination should be introduced subject to procurement of a hexavalent (6 in 1) vaccine at a cost effective price. The outcome of the competitive tender exercise that is currently underway is expected to be known mid 2016.
Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cases or outbreaks of reportable diseases in prisons and immigration removal centres have occurred in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Public Health England (PHE) receives reports from prisons and immigration removal centre on cases or outbreaks of reportable diseases.
The numbers of reportable single cases of infection per setting from 2012-2014 reported to PHE are presented in the table below.
Custodial setting | Year | ||
| 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
Prisons | 1,208 | 1,630 | 600 |
Immigration Removal Centres | 60 | 38 | 30
|
Note: the increase in reported cases in prisons from 2012-2013 is due to improvements in reporting Hepatitis C infection. There were over 300 cases of hepatitis C reported during 2013.
The number of outbreaks of infection in prisons and immigration removal centres reported to PHE from 2012-14 are presented in the table below.
Custodial setting | Year | ||
| 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
Prisons | 26 | 21 | 26 |
Immigration Removal Centres | 3 | 2 | 1 |