Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive on a co-ordinated strategy to stem the increase in the number of overweight children.

We have not had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive about a co-ordinated strategy to tackle child obesity. Departmental officials meet regularly with the Devolved Administrations to discuss public health issues including obesity.

The numbers of overweight children in England and Northern Ireland are not rising. In 2012 around 28% of 2-15 years olds in England were either overweight or obese, down from 30% in 2011, and in Northern Ireland 27% were either overweight or obese in 2012-13, with no significant change over the previous two years.