Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of strategies local authorities have in place to tackle (a) childhood and (b) adult obesity.

Local authorities (LA) have access to the National Child Measurement Programme and NHS Health Checks to identify, monitor and help inform the needs of their local child and adult populations. Public Health England (PHE) will continue to work with LAs on public health approaches that support evidence based and place-based approaches, including the Sustainability Transformation Plans, whilst delivering the actions outlined in the Government's Childhood Obesity Plan.

Local authorities continue to invest in a breadth of approaches to tackle obesity, including work to improve the local food offer in public places; create healthier built environments; and provide weight management services to children and adults looking to achieve a healthier weight.

PHE are supporting local authorities to implement effective strategies by developing accessible resources and toolkits that support local authorities to take a place-based and whole systems approach to tackling obesity.