Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 30 May 2023
30 May 2023 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Diet and Healthy Weight Consultations
As I said earlier, I believe that it is important to ensure that we get the right, robust evidence to ensure that we bring in the right policies.
As I have also said, we have brought in a number of policies to support the reduction of obesity in children. As we took evidence for the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill, we learned that, in local authority areas in which the provision of 1,140 hours of childcare allowed more time to be spent with children and ensure that they got nutritious healthy food, that had a knock-on effect on the food choices that they made later, in primary school. In primary schools, we have really improved the choice of food.
It is not a one-stop shop. A lot of different things can be changed to bring obesity levels down.
Work has been done on a voluntary basis to discuss what is in menus for out-of-home eating. That is an improvement. My officials and I are working on that to make sure that we get the right information to enable us to make the right policy decisions to ensure that we meet the ambition of halving childhood obesity by 2030.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is a statement by Jenni Minto on diet and healthy weight consultations. The minister will take questions at the end of her statemen...
The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health (Jenni Minto)
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer. As the new Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, I welcome this opportunity to reaffirm the Scottish Government’s visi...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The minister will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions, after which we will move on to...
Sandesh Gulhane (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
As a practising general practitioner, I am all too familiar with the obesity crisis that has developed in Scotland. Our country has one of the world’s worst ...
Jenni Minto
SNP
I refute the suggestion that the Scottish Government has been doing nothing. Over the past five years, a lot of evidence has been gathered to ensure that we ...
Carol Mochan (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
The importance of getting this right cannot be overstated. Delivering positive and tangible actions to improve diet and tackle obesity is crucial to improvin...
Jenni Minto
SNP
I disagree that little progress has been made. We have been working hard with healthy eating stakeholders, including businesses, to ensure that we introduce ...
Evelyn Tweed (Stirling) (SNP)
SNP
What steps is the Scottish Government taking to support community kitchen initiatives that support people on low incomes to access the right tools and resour...
Jenni Minto
SNP
I thank Evelyn Tweed for that important question. Community food networks promote healthier diets among groups that are disadvantaged, whether that is due to...
Craig Hoy (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
The minister said that she will have further discussions with the hospitality sector before taking a decision on mandatory calorie labelling in the out-of-ho...
Jenni Minto
SNP
In my statement, I was clear that we need to involve business in these decisions, but we have to get the balance right between public health and business. Wh...
Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Significant evidence shows that ultra-processed foods link directly to obesity, poor diet, malnourishment and negative health implications. Will the minister...
Jenni Minto
SNP
The scientific advisory committee on nutrition considered ultra-processed foods in June last year and is now carrying out a scoping review of the evidence on...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
Organisations of professionals who have argued for action will be bitterly disappointed by the statement. Earlier this month, Obesity Action Scotland asked i...
Jenni Minto
SNP
As I said earlier, I believe that it is important to ensure that we get the right, robust evidence to ensure that we bring in the right policies. As I have ...
Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP)
SNP
Will the minister provide more detail about how the Scottish Government will ensure that businesses have sufficient time to prepare for the implementation of...
Jenni Minto
SNP
We plan to consult on the detail of proposed regulations this autumn, in order to lay regulations before the Parliament next year, subject to the outcome of ...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
We have just heard that there will be a pause to the introduction of mandatory calorie counting on menus, which is very welcome. The evidence of harm to peop...
Jenni Minto
SNP
It is important to review the population as a whole and not to make decisions that are based on only one element of it. We have taken cognisance of the decis...
Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
Will the minister outline what the Scottish Government considers to be the broad benefits of restricting promotions on unhealthy food and drink and how those...
Jenni Minto
SNP
I am clear that I want to reduce the public health harms that are associated with the excess consumption of calories, fat, sugar and salt, including the risk...
Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Con)
Con
It is often easier to ban things and demonise people who are overweight than it is to encourage and empower people to make positive lifestyle choices. With o...
Jenni Minto
SNP
I agree that we need to take a holistic approach to the issue, and that we need to support people to make the right lifestyle choices. One of the ways that t...
Gillian Mackay (Central Scotland) (Green)
Green
The consultation analysis report on energy drinks highlights that respondents suggested that there was a need to focus on education about energy drinks, on t...
Jenni Minto
SNP
I agree that we must have clear labelling. A code of practice ensures that that level of labelling on energy drinks is provided. Energy drinks are defined as...
Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
Will the minister expand on how the Scottish Government has engaged with people with lived experience in relation to calorie labelling? Will the Government c...
Jenni Minto
SNP
The Scottish Government engaged extensively with Beat, which is the largest charity for people with an eating disorder, throughout the consultation process. ...
Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
The recent health inequalities in Scotland report cited a 24-year gap in the time spent in good health between people living in the most and least deprived 1...
Jenni Minto
SNP
As I said in previous answers, I believe that we need to take a holistic approach—and yes, we need to work very closely with people who are suffering health ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
That concludes the ministerial statement on diet and healthy weight consultations.