Obesity Among Children (Hansard, 22 July 2004)

§ Lord Warner

Prevalence of obesity among those aged two to 10 in England increased from 9.6 per cent in 1995 to 15.5 per cent in 2002, an increase of around 0.8 percentage points per year.

The increase in prevalence of obesity among children aged two to 10 between 1995 and 2002 in England, is shown in the table.

The Central Science Laboratory completed the last formal assessment of the anticoagulant resistance status of rats in 1998 under Project VCO309, geographical distribution and incidence of anticoagulant resistance in rats. A summary of the results can be found in the scientific paper: Kerins, G.M.; Dennis, N.; Atterby, H.; Gill, J.E. & MacNicoll, A.D. (2001) Distribution of resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides in the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus Berk.) in England 1995–98. In: Advances in Vertebrate Pest Management II (Eds. H.-J. Pelz, D.P. Cowan & C.J. Feare) pages 149–159, Filander Verlag, Furth.

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Subsequently a limited amount of ad hoc screening in the Yorkshire/Humberside area has been undertaken by the Central Science Laboratory during projects aimed at developing techniques that reduce reliance on anticoagulant rodenticides and thereby reduce the selection pressure favouring resistance (Project VC0321, Control of rats without the use of pesticides). The final report can be found on the Defra website. A further study (VC0330) on the development of novel techniques for improving the effectiveness, humaneness and safety of managing rat populations, is also currently underway.

Ad hoc screening of rural rat populations was also undertaken during projects PV1015 and PV1016 by CSL on behalf of PSD. Final reports of these projects, which looked at the efficacy of rodenticides and the development of guidelines on best practice for rodenticide use, can both be found on the Defra website.

With regard to plague, the Central Science Laboratory reviewed the risk of an outbreak in the UK in a report considered by the UK Zoonoses Group (UKZG) in 2002. The former Public Health Laboratory Service's Advisory committee on Zoonoses (ACZOO) was asked by the UKZG to assess the report. The ACZOO identified a number of issues, some of which had already been considered by a working group on rodent control chaired by Defra. A protocol on rodent management control was also agreed in 2001 with local authorities, water companies and the Local Government Association.

Reference to the UKZG's consideration of the plague report is contained in the summary of the second UKZG meeting, available on the Defra website at: http://www2.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/zoonoses/ukzg/minutes.htm. Copies of the full minute of that meeting can also be obtained on request to the UKZG Secretariat. The e-mail address is mailto:n.zoonoses@defra.gsi.gov.uk.