3 Influencing organisations
17. Apart from the planned obesity social marketing
campaign there is no additional funding or any specific set of
initiatives aimed directly at child obesity. Instead, the Departments
are seeking to tackle the issue through influence over the activities
of a wide range of organisations from the public, private and
voluntary sectors whose work bears on the diet and lifestyle of
children. These include NHS primary care trusts, local authorities,
schools, children's charities, and sports providers. The four
main programmes which will have an impact on child obesity are
School Meals, the School Sport Strategy, the Healthy Schools Programme
and the Children's Play Initiative (the latter being funded by
the Big Lottery Fund).[32]
18. Tackling child obesity at a local level involves
many different agencies and bodies, all with different funding
streams and performance monitoring arrangements. Local Strategic
Partnerships and emerging Local Area Agreements are bringing together
different funding streams to tackle issues such as child obesity
and have the potential to provide a basis by which agencies can
pool resources around agreed priorities.[33]
Children's trusts have been established to bring together the
wider activities of local authorities and primary care trusts.
They are still at an early stage so it remains to be seen how
effectively they can bring focus to the work of local agencies
to tackle the specific problem of child obesity.[34]
19. The Department for Education and Skills has established
new nutritional standards for all school meals (including the
food sold through vending machines in schools).[35]
Food-based standards for lunches were introduced in September
2006 and nutrient-based standards will be mandatory in all primary
and secondary schools by September 2009. In March 2005, the Department
made £220 million available to schools and local authorities
over a three year period from 2005-06 as transitional money to
enable them to meet these new standards. In September 2006 the
Department announced that a further £240 million would be
made available over the three years from 2008-09. Further investment
in school kitchen and dining areas is to come from established
capital funding for schools which will rise from the £5.5
billion available in 2006-07 to £8.0 billion by 2010-11.[36]
The Department has only limited arrangements in place to assess
how well the transitional money is being used by schools and local
authorities or how effectively existing capital budgets will be
used to improve school food provision.[37]
20. In 2004 there was an overall increase of 11%
in the level of sports and activities undertaken by children in
England.[38] In 2003-04
72 new playing fields were created against 52 lost and during
the same period 131 swimming pools were opened against the 27
that were closed (including the closure of a number of lidos which
provide popular public facilities for families).[39]
21. As part of the Healthy Schools Programme and
the School Sport Strategy, there is a target to increase the percentage
of school children in England who spend at least two hours each
week on physical education and school sport.[40]
This was set at 25% in 2002, rising to 75% in 2006 and 85% by
2008. In 2004-05 the Department for Education and Skills reported
that 69% of pupils were spending at least two hours or more on
sport.[41]
22. In September 2003 the Food Standards Agency published
a comprehensive review of research examining the way foods are
promoted to children and the possible link between promotional
activity and children's eating patterns. The review concluded
that advertising to children does have an effect on their preferences,
purchase behaviour and consumption.[42]
23. Despite working alongside the food industry for
a number of years, the Departments have yet to demonstrate much
concrete action to change the way foods that are high in fat,
salt and sugar are marketed.[43]
Such foods are still marketed at times when children are watching
television and some leading retailers have chosen to opt out of
the voluntary food labelling scheme promoted by the Food Standards
Agency.[44] The Government
stated in its White Paper, Choosing Health, that if the
industry had not acted appropriately by 2007, it would look to
introduce legislation to control the marketing of unhealthy foods.[45]
The Departments also recognise that healthiness is becoming a
point of competitive advantage within the food industry but have
yet to take steps to fully exploit the opportunities that this
presents.[46]
24. During May and June 2006 the Office of Communications
(Ofcom) ran a consultation on options for new restrictions on
the television advertising of food and drink products to children.
In a note requested by the Committee following the hearing, Ofcom
outlined their attitude and policy towards the advertising of
food and drink to children.[47]
In particular Ofcom provided details about their consultation
on three options for further restrictions on the advertising of
food and drink to children. These were:
- timing restrictions on specific
food and drink products;
- timing restrictions on all food and drink products;
and
- volume based restrictions on all food and drink
products.
25. Ofcom did not, however, include in the consultation
an option for a total ban on the advertising of food and drink
high in fat, salt and sugar before 9pm. The decision not to include
this option was criticised by a number of bodies, including the
Food Standards Agency, the National Consumer Council, Which? and
the National Heart Forum.[48]
26. In November 2006 Ofcom announced new restrictions
on the television advertising of food and drink products to children.
The restrictions include a total ban on advertisements for foods
and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugar "in and around
programmes of particular appeal to children". The new restrictions
will take effect by the end of January 2007. In addition Ofcom
have also launched a further consultation to seek views on extending
the restrictions to protect all children under the age of sixteen
as opposed to just under-9s, which will close by the end of December
2006.[49]
32 C&AG's Report, Tackling Obesity: First Steps,
HC (2005-06) 801, Fig. 2, page 13 Back
33
ibid, para 35c, page 21, paras 22-25, pages 15-16 Back
34
ibid Back
35
Q 14; Ev 18 Back
36
Ev 18; The Department for Education and Skills guidance on capital
programmes states that priority should be given to improving school
food provision through better kitchens and dining areas. Back
37
C&AG's Report, Smarter food procurement in the public sector:
Case Studies, HC (2005-06) 963-II, fig. 4, page 6 Back
38
Q 122 Back
39
Q 32 Back
40
C&AG's Report, Tackling Obesity: First Steps, HC (2005-06)
801, fig. 1, page 10 Back
41
Department for Education and Skills, The Results of the 2004/05
School Sport Survey 2005, para 35, page 8 Back
42
Committee of Public Accounts, Forty-fifth Report of Session 2002-03,
Protecting public health and consumer interests in relation
to food: the Food Standards Agency, HC 708, para 32, page
16 Back
43
Qq 19, 20 Back
44
Qq 19, 153 Back
45
Qq 20, 52 Back
46
Q 20 Back
47
Ev 24-29 Back
48
Qq 49-55, 145-146; Office of Communications, Television Advertising
of Food and Drink to Children: Options for new restrictions. Update
to Consultation Document of March 28, 2006, 8 June 2006 Back
49
Office of Communications, Television Advertising of Food and
Drink Products to Children, Statement and Further Consultation,
November 2006 Back
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