CHILDREN'S FOOD BILL

Early day motion 1256, tabled 24 May 2004 by Debra Shipley (Labour). Signed by 248 members.

That this House notes that there is a crisis in children's diet-related health, demonstrated by alarming increases in childhood obesity and the appearance of adult-onset diseases, such as type II diabetes, in schoolchildren, which the Food Standards Agency has described as a timebomb which needs to be defused; further notes that the 2000 National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows that nine in 10 children consume more saturated fat and eight in 10 children consume more sugar and five in 10 children consume more salt than levels recommended for adults; recognises that this situation is caused by a number of factors, including marketing to children of foods containing high levels of fat, sugar and salt, the poor composition of foods on sale in schools, the lack of practical cooking skills in the national curriculum and insufficient promotion to children of healthy foods; and therefore supports in principle the Children's Food Bill which will result in the implementation of a range of measures which will improve children's diets and future health.

Signatures by party: Labour 153, Liberal Democrat 45, Conservative 17, Labour/Co-operative 14, DUP 5, Plaid Cymru 4, Scottish National Party 4, UUP 3, Independent 1, Independent Conservative 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.