§ Ms ShipleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her assessment of the effect of food promotion on children's health takes into account the(a) quantity, (b) frequency and (c) scheduling of food and drink advertisements in addition to their content. [173745]
§ Estelle MorrisThe Department for Culture, Media and Sport has a responsibility only in relation to broadcast advertising. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no separate assessment of the effect of food promotion on children's health but the Department continues to participate in the consultation being undertaken by the Food Standards Agency on the possible impact of broadcast advertising on childhood obesity.
The Secretary of State has also asked Ofcom to examine the adequacy of its codes regulating broadcast advertising of food to children and Ofcom has indicated that it will make its own assessment of the evidence.
§ Ms ShipleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has accepted the conclusions of the Food Standards Agency research, "Does Food Promotion Influence Children? A Systematic Review of the Evidence", conducted by the University of Strathclyde. [173801]
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§ Estelle MorrisThe University of Strathclyde review was prepared for the Food Standards Agency (FSA). It is an important contribution to the debate and has therefore informed the FSA's development of its recommendations to Government and others about the promotion of food to children, on which the FSA is currently consulting. It is those recommendations which will be considered by Government and other stakeholders in the context of our commitment to reduce levels of obesity.