Oral Answers to Questions

Johnny Mercer Excerpts

Tuesday 19th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Justin Tomlinson (North Swindon) (Con)]

17. What steps he is taking to reduce rates of childhood obesity.

[Johnny Mercer (Plymouth, Moor View) (Con)]

19. What steps he is taking to reduce rates of childhood obesity.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Steve Brine)]

We are delivering the most ambitious childhood obesity plan in the world, and we are already seeing results. We always said that our 2016 plan was the start of the conversation, not the final word. [Interruption.] Yes, it does say that here, but I have also said it everywhere else many, many times.

[Steve Brine]

I do not think that it is a binary choice. We recognise that child obesity is caused by many different factors, and that no one policy will work on its own. Yes, this is about tackling advertising, and yes, it is about tackling children’s activity and working with schools; and, as I said recently, we will present new proposals very shortly.

[Johnny Mercer]

As the Minister will know, perhaps the two biggest challenges that we currently face in relation to young people’s health are mental health and child obesity. Will he update the House on the progress of chapter 1 of his childhood obesity plan in reducing the amount of sugar in both food and drink?

[Steve Brine]

Since we published the plan, progress has been made on sugar reduction. The amount of sugar in soft drinks has been reduced by 11% in response to the industry levy, and Public Health England has published a detailed assessment of progress against delivery of the 5% reduction for the first year. Progress is good, but it is not good enough, which is why we have said that we will produce chapter 2 shortly.