Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement (1) the proposals contained in Childhood obesity: a plan for action - Chapter 2, published in June 2018, and (2) the recommendations relating to childhood obesity outlined in the Green Paper Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s, published in July 2019.
Answered by Lord Bethell
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.
In addition, Public Health England has launched the Better Health campaign, which will call 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 Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on people living with obesity, what plans they have to develop a campaign to encourage people to make healthy choices; with whom they have engaged on the development of any such plans; and whether they intend to publish those plans.
Answered by Lord Bethell
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.
In addition, Public Health England has launched the Better Health campaign, which will call 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: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the long-term economic merits of supporting children to have a safe, happy and healthy childhood.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department’s vision is to provide world-class education, training and care to make sure that everyone has the chance to reach their potential and live a more fulfilled life. This will create a more productive economy, so that our country is fit for the future.
For example, one of the department’s priorities is to improve our understanding of child wellbeing and happiness. Beginning in 2019, the government will publish a State of the Nation report every year on World Mental Health Day. This report will highlight the trends and issues in young people’s mental well-being - the first time children’s mental health will be reported in this way, alongside their physical health and academic attainment. The government will also provide tools to help schools measure their students’ health, including their mental wellbeing - building on the commitment to make education in mental health and resilience a compulsory part of the curriculum. Further information on these announcements can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-pledges-action-on-suicide-to-mark-world-mental-health-day.
The department has also announced it is developing an activity passport - a template intended to provide ideas to schools to support their efforts to encourage young people to try a wider range of activities and develop new interests.
Further details on how the department will ensure that education builds character, resilience and well-being is provided in our single departmental plan, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-single-departmental-plan/may-2018-department-for-education-single-departmental-plan.
Nothing is more important than safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. This is why we have strengthened local safeguarding arrangements through the Children and Social Work Act (2017) by placing a duty on the safeguarding partners, - the police, health and the local authority - to work together to make plans to keep children safe. As part of this we have consulted on and updated the ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ statutory guidance.
All children deserve a safe environment in which they can learn and schools and colleges are under a legislative duty to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of their pupils. We recently consulted on and strengthened the ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, statutory guidance for schools. We also provide a range of advice documents to support schools and colleges to keep their children safe, including sexual harassment and sexual violence advice, bullying advice and behaviour advice.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he had made of the effectiveness of restrictions on food and drink advertising.
Answered by Margot James
We are committed to tackling childhood obesity and supporting people to make healthy choices.
Strict new rules came into effect on 1 July 2017 banning the advertising of HFSS food or drink products in children’s media. These restrictions apply across all non-broadcast media including in print, cinema, online and in social media.
In addition in August 2017 we announced £5 million investment in a policy research unit on obesity to provide a robust evidence, evaluation and research capability including looking at advertising and promotions.
Advertising is regulated by the independent Advertising Standards Authority and underpinned by consumer protection legislation. This system is independent of the Government. It is vital that the advertising codes reflect the best available evidence of the effect of advertising on the public, and are periodically reviewed to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to review the (a) scope and (b) effectiveness of guidelines on advertising in relation to junk food marketing.
Answered by Margot James
We are committed to tackling childhood obesity and supporting people to make healthy choices.
Strict new rules came into effect on 1 July 2017 banning the advertising of HFSS food or drink products in children’s media. These restrictions apply across all non-broadcast media including in print, cinema, online and in social media.
In addition in August 2017 we announced £5 million investment in a policy research unit on obesity to provide a robust evidence, evaluation and research capability including looking at advertising and promotions.
Advertising is regulated by the independent Advertising Standards Authority and underpinned by consumer protection legislation. This system is independent of the Government. It is vital that the advertising codes reflect the best available evidence of the effect of advertising on the public, and are periodically reviewed to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the effect of junk food advertising on young people.
Answered by Margot James
We are committed to tackling childhood obesity and supporting people to make healthy choices.
Strict new rules came into effect on 1 July 2017 banning the advertising of HFSS food or drink products in children’s media. These restrictions apply across all non-broadcast media including in print, cinema, online and in social media.
In addition in August 2017 we announced £5 million investment in a policy research unit on obesity to provide a robust evidence, evaluation and research capability including looking at advertising and promotions.
Advertising is regulated by the independent Advertising Standards Authority and underpinned by consumer protection legislation. This system is independent of the Government. It is vital that the advertising codes reflect the best available evidence of the effect of advertising on the public, and are periodically reviewed to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of restricting junk food advertisements to children in all forms of media; and what consideration they have given to a ban on such advertisements on television before the 9pm watershed.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
We are committed to tackling childhood obesity and supporting people to make healthy choices.
Strict new rules came into effect on 1 July 2017 banning the advertising of high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) food or drink products in children’s media. These restrictions apply across all non-broadcast media including in print, cinema, online and in social media.
In addition in August 2017 we announced £5 million investment in a policy research unit on obesity to provide a robust evidence, evaluation and research capability including looking at advertising and promotions.
Advertising is regulated by the independent Advertising Standards Authority and underpinned by consumer protection legislation. This system is independent of the Government. It is vital that the advertising codes reflect the best available evidence of the effect of advertising on the public, and are periodically reviewed to ensure they remain fit for purpose
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Government has plans to create a national all-encompassing campaign to promote the importance and value of physical activity in combating the child obesity to children across all areas.
Answered by Steve Brine
We welcome the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a fit and healthy childhood’s report on “Physical activity in early childhood” which provides a valuable contribution to the debate as we continue to deliver our world-leading Childhood Obesity Plan.
Physical activity is a key part of our plan and has an important role in maintaining and improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people. We continue to invest in school sport through programmes such as the primary PE and sport premium, School Games, and Change4Life Sports Clubs, to encourage children to be active.
Local authorities are being given over £16 billion to spend on public health over the five years of the 2015 Spending Review. We know that many are prioritising action to tackle obesity and increase physical activity according to their local need.
Public Health England has developed “Everybody Active Every Day”, a national implementation framework for physical activity. This will support increased physical activity in local communities by: focussing across the whole life-course; consolidating evidence and providing a structured approach; and enabling local and national organisations to work together.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to assist local authorities, voluntary organisations and business to promote a broad range of physical activity opportunities for health benefits.
Answered by Steve Brine
We welcome the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a fit and healthy childhood’s report on “Physical activity in early childhood” which provides a valuable contribution to the debate as we continue to deliver our world-leading Childhood Obesity Plan.
Physical activity is a key part of our plan and has an important role in maintaining and improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people. We continue to invest in school sport through programmes such as the primary PE and sport premium, School Games, and Change4Life Sports Clubs, to encourage children to be active.
Local authorities are being given over £16 billion to spend on public health over the five years of the 2015 Spending Review. We know that many are prioritising action to tackle obesity and increase physical activity according to their local need.
Public Health England has developed “Everybody Active Every Day”, a national implementation framework for physical activity. This will support increased physical activity in local communities by: focussing across the whole life-course; consolidating evidence and providing a structured approach; and enabling local and national organisations to work together.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policy on childhood obesity of the recommendations on the report of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a fit and healthy childhood, Physical activity in early childhood, published in October 2017 on the role of baby swimming in boosting physical health and its effect on later academic performance.
Answered by Steve Brine
We welcome the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a fit and healthy childhood’s report on “Physical activity in early childhood” which provides a valuable contribution to the debate as we continue to deliver our world-leading Childhood Obesity Plan.
Physical activity is a key part of our plan and has an important role in maintaining and improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people. We continue to invest in school sport through programmes such as the primary PE and sport premium, School Games, and Change4Life Sports Clubs, to encourage children to be active.
Local authorities are being given over £16 billion to spend on public health over the five years of the 2015 Spending Review. We know that many are prioritising action to tackle obesity and increase physical activity according to their local need.
Public Health England has developed “Everybody Active Every Day”, a national implementation framework for physical activity. This will support increased physical activity in local communities by: focussing across the whole life-course; consolidating evidence and providing a structured approach; and enabling local and national organisations to work together.