§ Mr. FlightTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been(a) allocated and (b) spent for anti-obesity advertising in every year since 1997. [174157]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 19 May 2004]There has been no expenditure by the Department of Health specifically on anti-obesity advertising during this period.
The Government lead a range of programmes aimed at improving nutrition and promoting physical activity that will help fight obesity. Spending on Department of Health-led programmes aimed at improving children's diets was £140.98 million in 2002–03, including the national school fruit scheme (with funding from the New Opportunities Fund (NOF)), food in schools (in conjunction with the Department for Education and Skills), welfare foods and support for breastfeeding; plus funding not specific to children of £9.83 million, including five-a-day community initiatives (from NOF), Food Standards Agency activities and grants to charities.
Spending on Department of Health-led programmes to increase physical activity includes £1 billion by 2006 to transform physical education and school sport, £3 million over the next three year, to create a team of regional cycling co-ordinators, £10 million for Sporting Playgrounds programme, £32 million on improving, and creating new playing fields (from the Sports Lottery Fund), £115 million to expand the numbers of sports colleges, £108 million in innovative sport and exercise facilities (from Sport England and NOF), and £2.6 million for 10 local exercise action pilots (Sport England and the Countryside Agency)
In addition, local nutrition and activity initiatives are funded through health action zones, sure start, healthy 902W living centres and through general funding allocations to health authorities and primary care trusts, on which information is not collected centrally.