Lords Committee hears separately from Shadow Public Health Minister and Food Standards Agency
Wednesday 8 May 2024
On Thursday 9 May, the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee will hold two evidence sessions as it concludes its inquiry into considering the role of foods such as ‘ultra-processed foods’, and foods high in fat, salt and sugar, in a healthy diet and tackling obesity. The Committee’s report will be published later this year.
During the first session, the Committee will hear from Preet Kaur Gill MP, Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health on Labour’s overarching approach to tackling obesity including strategies for preventing obesity and enabling people to eat healthily; and regulation of the food industry and advertising.
The session will start at 10.00am and will be available to watch live or on demand at Parliament TV or attend in person in Committee Room 4, Palace of Westminster.
Questions will include:
- Can you set out Labour’s overarching approach to enabling people to eat healthily and preventing obesity?
- Witnesses to this committee, including from industry, have called for tougher regulation of the food industry to reduce unhealthy food consumption and promote healthier food consumption. What is Labour’s position?
- What role, if any, should the food industry play in the formulation of policy on tackling obesity?
- What is your position on setting mandatory health targets for businesses and ensuring businesses report against them?
- What consideration has Labour given to going further than the planned 9pm watershed on television advertising of unhealthy foods and ban on paid-for advertising online?
In the second session, the Committee will hear from Professor Robin May, Chief Scientific Advisor, Food Standards Agency (FSA). This session will focus on the role of the FSA as it relates to food, diet and obesity in England.
The session will start at 11.15am and will be available to watch live or on demand at Parliament TV or attend in person in Committee Room 4, Palace of Westminster.
Questions will include:
- In what ways does the Food Standards Agency work with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities on food, diet and obesity?
- Some witnesses to the Committee have suggested that the Food Standards Agency could take on a greater role in nutrition policy and in oversight of the food system (for example, by reporting against targets on food and health). In your view, what could be the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach?
- This March, the Food Standards Agency’s Consumer Insights Tracker found that 77% of consumers were concerned about ultra-processed food or the over-processing of food. In your view, how should the Food Standards Agency and the Government respond to this public concern?
- Can you set out the Food Standards Agency’s process for the risk assessment and authorisation of food additives?
- In what ways does the Food Standards Agency monitor and assess the risks of long-term exposure to individual food additives and combinations of food additives?
