Salt (Hansard, 5 March 2002)

§ Mr. Borrow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if stakeholders were(a) contacted by the SACN and (b) asked to submit evidence to the review on salt. [40301]

§ Yvette Cooper
Interested parties were alerted to the review through information placed on the SACN website, which included a call for submissions on evidence. Four key stakeholders—the Food and Drink Federation, the British Retail Consortium, the Salt Manufacturers Association and Consensus Action on Salt and Health—were alerted to the intended review so that they could submit evidence if they so wished.

§ Mr. Borrow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the remit is of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition's review of the evidence on salt since 1994. [40300]

§ Yvette Cooper
At the first meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) sub-group on salt (25 January 2002), the group agreed that its purpose was to review the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy's 1994 recommendation (for a "reduction in the average intake of sodium by reducing salt intake by a third, from 9g to 6g per day") in the light of any new evidence, taking into account the submissions that had been received from interested parties; and to consider making recommendations for children.

Distances from target (percentage) Distances form targets (£000)

Health authority 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03

Avon -1.87 0.40 -1.17 -1.13 -1.25 -0.36 -7,805 1,720 -6,924 -7,351 -8,757 -2,992

Barking and Havering 2.43 0.88 -0.75 0.92 1.45 -0.01 4,299 1,660 -1,934 2,573 4,332 -19

296W

§ Mr. Borrow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition will publish the evidence received from the stakeholders(a) during and (b) after the outcome of the dietary sodium review. [40302]

§ Yvette Cooper
The minutes of the sub group's first meeting will be placed on the SACN website?www.sacn.gov.uk—once they have been agreed by the Chair and members. The agenda of the meeting and a list of papers and submissions submitted to SACN have already been placed on the website. Interested parties can request copies of papers through the SACN secretariat.

	Distances from target (percentage)	Distances form targets (£000)
Health authority	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03
Avon	-1.87	0.40	-1.17	-1.13	-1.25	-0.36	-7,805	1,720	-6,924	-7,351	-8,757	-2,992
Barking and Havering	2.43	0.88	-0.75	0.92	1.45	-0.01	4,299	1,660	-1,934	2,573	4,332	-19