HC Deb 27 January 2003 vol 398 c533W
Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the contribution breakfast clubs and the school joint scheme can make to reducing childhood obesity and poor nutrition; and if he will make a statement. [90784]

Ms Blears

I have been asked to reply.

Initial evaluation of breakfast clubs and the national school fruit scheme indicates that they have the potential to make an important contribution to improving children's diet, as do the compulsory nutritional standards for school meals. Measures to increase physical activity can also make a contribution to reducing childhood obesity. Further evaluation of breakfast clubs will be carried out under the food in schools programme. An assessment of the impact of the national school fruit scheme upon children's diets will be undertaken over the next two years.

Services and projects commissioned by Sefton Children's Fund partnership
Project name Lead agency Funding committed 2002–04 (£) Status
A.B.S (Anti-Bullying in Sefton) Behaviour Support and Reintegration Team (Sefton LEA) and Child and Family services) 243,500 Project due to commence January 2003
Children's Choices Queens Road Neighbourhood Centre 67,812 Project commenced November 2002
Everyone Can Play Fun 4 Kidz 45,902 Project commenced summer 2002
Young Carers Project PSS Sefton Young Carers 48,340 Project commenced summer 2002
Inclusive Play Training Project Sefton EYDCP 19,277 Project due to commence January 2003
Kindred Spirits II Children With Disabilities Sub-group (Sefton Teaching & Educational Psychology) 13,200 Project due to commence March 2003
Empowering Parents in the Community (EPIC) Merseyside Partners in Policy Making 40,900 Project commenced November 2002
Special Needs Toy Library Sefton Social Services 37,817 Project commenced November 2002
Link Nurse Team for Children with ADHD and Autistic Spectrum Disorders South Sefton PCT 94,950 Project due to commence January 2003
Support for children affected by domestic violence SWACA 68,100 Project commenced summer 2002
Link Worker for children affected by parental substance misuse Sefton Social Services 60,000 Project due to commence February 2003
Development of integrated service information systems 3TC 20,000 Project due to commence February 2003
Environmental Transformation post Sefton CVS 18,120 Project due to commence January 2003
Going for Gold Plus Sefton Education Business Partnership 17,613 Project commenced September 2002
Parent Support Project Parenting 2000 38,500 Project due to commence February 2003
Child and Adolescent Mental Health South Sefton PCT 23,000 Project due to commence January 2003
Services Co-ordinator Multi-disciplinary Teams in Schools Various agencies 165,000 Workshop/ conference planned for January to develop project in conjunction with local PCTs, schools, Sefton YOT
Approaches to supporting children and families from minority ethnic backgrounds NW Ethnicities Project 21,000 Conference planned for March 2003. Programme Manager involved in planning meetings
Research into the needs of children from asylum seeking families Sefton Social Inclusion Unit 4,000 Research to begin March 2003
Arts Inclusion Worker Sefton Leisure Services 40,000 Project due to commence January 2003
JETSET 2003 Greater Merseyside SETPOINT 6,400 Project due to commence February 2003