Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on public health of the availability of convenience food products.

The childhood obesity plan recognises that convenience food products high in fat, salt or sugar can lead to weight gain, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers. High levels of sugar intake also increase the risk of tooth decay.

Many of the measures in the three chapters of our childhood obesity plan will have an impact on improving diet and reducing obesity across all age groups. These include the soft drinks industry levy, sugar reduction and wider calorie reformulation programme, restricting promotions and calorie labelling in restaurants which will improve our eating habits and reduce the amount of sugar we consume.