§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate the advantages and disadvantages of fiscal measures to encourage or discourage the purchase of certain foods, with particular reference to those containing a high proportion of saturated fatty acids. [109101]
§ Yvette CooperThe White Paper "Our Healthier Nation" recognised that unhealthy diets are a risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke and for some cancers. Therefore, everyone can reduce the risk by reducing their intakes of fat and saturated fatty acids, increasing carbohydrate intakes and increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables.
The theory that selected fiscal measures would have a significant effect on saturated fatty acid intakes of particular population groups is still unproven. It depends on basic assumptions about the strength of relationships between prices and purchases which would require much further testing before their validity could be accepted and further investigations justified.