Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the closure of wraparound childcare providers on childhood obesity.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The government recognises the vital role wraparound childcare plays in providing enriching activities which provide such an enormous benefit to the health and wellbeing of children. That is why we have ensured that all before and after-school clubs, holiday clubs, and other out-of-school settings have been able to continue to stay open for children eligible to attend school on-site (i.e. for critical worker children, and vulnerable children and young people), for the duration of the national lockdown, in line with the protective measures guidance for the sector which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
We have also made clear that schools should be continuing to offer before and after-school provision for those pupils eligible to attend for on-site provision, where it is feasible for them to do so. We have provided guidance for schools to support them to resume this provision. A copy of the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and is therefore not able to give an assessment on the potential effects to childhood obesity due to the closure of wraparound childcare providers. We do, however, recognise the value this sector offers to our children and young people, as well as the valuable support they provide to our critical worker parents, and vulnerable children. That is why we have encouraged all local authorities to consider what local grants could be used to bolster this part of the childcare sector in their areas, to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. This includes funding streams such as the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. The expanded programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, will be expanded to reach all local authority areas over the Easter, summer, and Christmas holidays in 2021.
Although there has been no official assessment made around the effects wraparound closures has on levels of children’s physical activity, the government is acutely aware of the benefits to children’s physical and mental wellbeing of attending these settings. The Department of Health and Social Care published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ in July 2020, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-obesity-government-strategy/tackling-obesity-empowering-adults-and-children-to-live-healthier-lives?dm_i=21A8,6YUMT,1HTV5R,S1TJS,1.
The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan, including our ambition to halve the number of children living with obesity by 2030, and sets out measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the NHS.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to assess the effect of covid-19 on patients living with (a) obesity and (b) other long term health conditions; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill
There is consistent evidence that people who are overweight or living with obesity who contract COVID-19 are more likely to be admitted to hospital, admitted to an intensive care unit and to die from COVID-19 compared to those of a healthy body weight status. We published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ in July. Our strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets out measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
There has been no specific assessment of COVID-19 and long-term conditions. Many organisations have produced advice for people to manage their condition during the pandemic, and NHS England and NHS Improvement have supported efforts in this area.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support the aims of the obesity strategy and (b) ensure that local authorities have sufficient (i) funding and (ii) resources to deliver obesity prevention initiatives.
Answered by Jo Churchill
‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets out measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
We have invested £3.279 billion in local authority public health services through the Public Health Grant in 2020/21, in addition to what the NHS spent on preventative interventions such as our world-class immunisation and screening programmes.
Asked by: Lord Judd (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to propose urgent action nationwide to combat childhood obesity.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We published Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives in July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan, including our ambition to halve the number of children living with obesity by 2030, and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
In addition, Public Health England launched the Better Health campaign, which calls on people to embrace a healthier lifestyle and to lose weight if they need to, supported by a range of evidence-based tools and apps providing advice on how to reduce the waistline.
A copy of Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives is attached.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of obesity in the UK; and what steps they are taking following that assessment.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Obesity rates are far too high which represents a huge cost to the health and wellbeing of the individual, the National Health Service and the wider economy.
We published Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives in July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the NHS.
In addition, Public Health England launched the Better Health campaign, which calls on people to embrace a healthier lifestyle and to lose weight if they need to, supported by a range of evidence-based tools and apps providing advice on how to reduce the waistline.
A copy of Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives is attached.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's report, Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives, published on 27 July 2020, what assessment his Department has made of the potential cost savings to the public purse of (a) specialist weight management clinicals provided by multidisciplinary teams and (b) bariatric surgery for patients with severe and complex obesity being routinely introduced; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill
‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
Through the strategy we are delivering a range of measures on weight management, including expanding weight management services, to help more people get the support they need and making conversations about weight in primary care the norm. Further details about these measures will be available later in the year and we will engage stakeholders throughout this process.
It is for clinical commissioning groups to commission complex obesity services for adults based on the needs of their local population, which includes all bariatric surgical procedures and the associated care.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's report, Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives, published on 27 July 2020, what plans his Department has to support general practitioners to refer patients with severe and complex obesity to (a) Tier 3 weight management services and (b) Tier 4 weight management services.
Answered by Jo Churchill
‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
Through the strategy we are delivering a range of measures on weight management, including expanding weight management services, to help more people get the support they need and making conversations about weight in primary care the norm. Further details about these measures will be available later in the year and we will engage stakeholders throughout this process.
It is for clinical commissioning groups to commission complex obesity services for adults based on the needs of their local population, which includes all bariatric surgical procedures and the associated care.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle the effects of the covid-19 outbreak and lockdown on children’s (a) physical agility and (b) weight gain.
Answered by Jo Churchill
We published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ in July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service. The strategy continues to deliver actions set out in the childhood obesity plan including promoting a national ambition for every primary school to adopt an active mile initiative. We have also confirmed that schools in England will benefit from £320 million from the PE and Sport Premium during the academic year 2020-21.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's report, Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives, published on 27 July 2020, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of that strategy on the number of people with (a) non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and (b) liver cirrhosis.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The NHS Long Term Plan recognised that alcohol and obesity are risk factors of liver disease. ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’, published on 27 July, demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets out measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
The obesity strategy also includes a commitment to consult on our intention to make companies provide calorie labelling on alcohol. An impact assessment will be published alongside the consultation later this year.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to undertake (a) a public consultation and (b) focus group meetings with patients on the development of a new plan to reduce obesity prevalence; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill
We published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ on 27 July. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan and sets our measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the National Health Service.
Our policies are informed by the latest research and emerging evidence, including from debates in Parliament and various reports from key stakeholders including the Health and Social Care Select Committee. We have also captured analysis from the National Institute for Health Research Obesity Policy Research Unit, which was established as part of our initial childhood obesity plan, through £5 million investment over five years.
There are ongoing discussions between Ministers and officials as part of developing and delivering the obesity programme.
‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ is available at the following link: