HL Deb 14 February 1995 vol 561 cc567-8

2.48 p.m.

Lord Jenkin of Rating asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are their intentions for the future of the national nutrition task force.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (,Baroness Cumberlege)

My Lords, the nutrition task force was initially set up for a period of two years and was subsequently given until the end of 1995 to oversee implementation of its programme. There are currently no plans for the task force to continue beyond 1995.

Lord Jenkin of Roding

My Lords, does my noble friend realise that that is quite a disappointing reply? Is she aware that the general picture now is in marked contrast to what it used to be when all the various interests—farmers, food manufacturers, retailers and consumer groups—were always at loggerheads over what should be food policy? Does she agree that in respect of the targets that are now accepted in the immensely valuable document The Health of the Nation, the work of the national nutrition task force has united all those varied interests in support of a common programme? Given that this is one of the ways in which the Government's health targets will be reached, is now really the moment to wind up a body which seems to be doing such valuable work?

Baroness Cumberlege

: My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for his kind comments. I agree that the nutrition task force has achieved a very great deal. But it was set up for a specific purpose. That purpose has been achieved, and we believe that the progress made will continue with the individual bodies concerned.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

My Lords, I echo the response of the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, that the Minister's Answer is disappointing. Does she agree, in the light of what we now know, particularly from the Rowntree Report on social inequality and health, that this is precisely the moment when the nutrition task force should not be wound up? Is she aware of the very valuable work of its working party on low income and nutrition, which precisely reflects the concerns of the Rowntree Report and others?

Baroness Cumberlege

My Lords, the project team will continue. It will arrive at recommendations which it will report to the Government. It is not necessarily true that a healthy diet is an expensive diet. In fact, sometimes junk food is very expensive and of poor value in terms of feeding a family.

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, I declare an interest as a governor of the British Nutrition Foundation. Does my noble friend agree that an organisation such as that foundation can well carry forward the work of the national committee on a national and perhaps even on a European level?

Baroness Cumberlege

My Lords, there are many bodies that can take on the work. As the task force was set up to achieve specific purposes and those purposes have now been achieved, it is time that it went. We do not wish to proliferate the number of committees in this field.

Lord Harmar-Nicholls

My Lords, i n view of the answer that my noble friend gave to a previous question, what is the difference between "not true" and "not necessarily true"?

Baroness Cumberlege

My Lords, perhaps that is an unnecessary question.

Lord Graham of Edmonton

You cannot follow that!