§ Ms CorstonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many people in the population were estimated in her Ministry's 1994 report of the 1986–87 dietary and nutritional survey to be below the lower reference nutrient intake recommended for energy, by age and sex, representing the lowest intakes which will meet the needs of some individuals in the group set out in paragraph 1.3.8 of the report of the panel on dietary reference values; and which family and socio-economic categories were disproportionately represented among them.
§ Mr. SoamesThere are no lower reference nutrient intakes for energy in the report of the panel on dietary reference values.
§ Ms CorstonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the energy requirements defined for children of different age and sex and the minimum cost at standard market prices of meeting those requirements in 1994.
§ Mr. SoamesThe estimated average energy require-ments published by the Department of Health in 1991 are: 143W
Age Males Females MJ/day kcal/day MJ/day kcal/day 0–3 months 2.28 545 2.16 515 4–6 months 2.89 690 2.69 645 7–9 months 3.44 825 3.20 765 10–12 months 3.85 920 3.61 865 1–3 years 5.15 1,230 4.86 1,165 4–6 years 7.16 1,715 6.46 1,545 7–10 years 8.24 1,970 7.28 1,740 11–14 years 9.27 2,220 7.72 1,845 15–18 years 11.51 2,755 8.83 2,110 The minimum cost of meeting these requirements would require a diet consisting entirely of the cheapest sources of energy such as lard, sugar or flour. Such a diet would not be recommended as it would not meet children's need for a balance of nutrients.