Under-16s Energy Drinks Ban

Debate between Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and Baroness Merron

Tuesday 10th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I am very pleased to commend this initiative by Southwark Council. It was developed by the council’s public health team and is a good example of what local action can do. My noble friend talked about the extension of this initiative across the country. I very much support that. What struck me, having looked online at Fizz Free February, was the importance of the information that reminded us that more five to nine year-olds are hospitalised due to issues with their teeth than anything else. That is a very sobering thought.

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)]

My Lords, I declare an interest: my wife and I have constant battles with our children over the downsides of energy drinks and caffeine. Energy drinks can lead to type 1 diabetes. What processes and programmes are being undertaken to ensure that schools, in particular high schools, are part of this process in educating students? Once they are out of the door it is very much a decision that they make themselves. I also support the noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley, in that every outlet should be part of this regulation.

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I agree on that last point, not least because that makes a level playing field, but it is also the right thing if we are to make that ban. The noble Lord describes a battle that I am sure goes on in many households. Schools are crucial. The incentive for schools is that children and young people will be much better placed to learn. One of the most disturbing things about this, and a message which we need to continue to get across, is that more headaches, difficulty with concentration and greater anxiety are all potential consequences of energy drinks. We work very closely with schools to ensure that the message gets through.

FCDO Nutrition Policy

Debate between Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and Baroness Merron

Monday 21st February 2022 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Collins of Highbury, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in his name on the Order Paper.

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) (Con)]

My Lords, the Foreign Secretary has confirmed that the United Kingdom will spend £1.5 billion between 2022 and 2030 on nutrition, addressing the nutrition needs of mothers, babies and children, tackling malnutrition in humanitarian emergencies and making sure that nutrition is central to the FCDO’s wider work over the eight years to 2030. The marker will be embedded into FCDO systems later in 2022, recording relevant programmes making a contribution towards nutrition objectives from the point of programme design.

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for that Answer. Of course, evidence shows that combining the humanitarian response with a longer-term focus on improving nutrition can help improve resilience to future shocks and crises, thereby decreasing the need for, and cost of, future humanitarian assistance. With the average time spent as a refugee on the rise, how would the UK’s nutrition for growth commitments advance the scaling up of successful approaches, such as nutrition-sensitive social protection, and will the department consider incorporating an impact commitment into the next nutrition for growth pledge?

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)]

My Lords, first I recognise the valuable work done by the noble Lord, Lord Collins, in his work on the APPG, and I wish him well—I understand he is recovering from Covid. In this respect, I also recognise that he has consistently raised this issue and our commitment, underlying the ongoing commitment from the UK, to this important priority. The noble Baroness asks a very valid question about how we can fulfil key objectives. The whole idea is to ensure that, right at the point of planning, all these elements within nutrition are incorporated—not just in the direct commitments on nutrition but that they are recorded as nutrition programme objectives in the wider work that the FCDO does. We constantly review impact assessments as well to see the effectiveness of our work and, of course, I will take back the question of the specific programming that we will be doing as this comes through. As I have said already, we hope the markers will be in place later this year, and at that point I am sure there will be further discussions.