§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money is being contributed by the New Opportunities Fund to health education programmes in which his Department has an involvement. [106630]
§ Ms BlearsThe New Opportunities Fund is providing £42 million over two years for scaling up National School Fruit Scheme pilots region-by-region to provide a free piece of fruit each day to school children aged four to six in England; and £10 million over two years to support 66 local five-a-day community initiatives in England to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables. Both these programmes include health education activities.
The New Opportunities Fund has approved 257 healthy living centre grants in England, worth over £200 million. These centres employ a wide range of methods to reduce inequalities in health and tackle the wider determinants and health education plays a central role in many programmes.
The New Opportunities Fund will also developing a programme to support cardiac rehabilitation, for which £5 million has been allocated.