§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with health education 15W bodies to evaluate the impact of alcoholic lemonade beverages on the health of children. [35479]
§ Mr. BowisNone. The Government's report, "Sensible Drinking" December 1995, expressed particular concern about young people inappropriately drinking alcohol of any kind. It specifically recommended that parents and carers of children who drink alcohol should try to ensure that children are aware of its hazards and only consume alcohol in moderate safe quantities for their age group with reference to their physical development. We are currently working with the Health Education Authority to develop new health education messages based on the report for parents and young people.
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect on the health of young people of alcohol in lemonade-style beverages. [35480]
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the relationship between the marketing of alcoholic lemonade and similar drinks and the level of alcohol misuse among young people [34724]
§ Mr. BowisThe Government are aware of concerns about the appeal of certain alcoholic drinks to young people. We welcome the code of practice for the packaging, marketing and sale of alcoholic drinks which the Portman Group published in April. The Portman Group and other signatories will monitor the code and we shall be following this carefully to see how effective it is in practice. My noble Friend, Baroness Cumberlege, recently met representatives from Coca Cola GB when this issue was amongst those we discussed. Otherwise, the Department has received a limited amount of correspondence on the subject.