Chamber
Plenary, 24 Jan 2007
24 Jan 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
I am sorry; I would struggle to finish if I did.
There is talk of banning foods. We need to influence the culture of nutrition in schools, but we should not be heavy handed—let us take a carrot and not a stick approach. Banning certain foods seems a little too prescriptive, particularly in school hostels, where it is important not to be too heavy handed. Civil liberties and parental choice need to be respected.
Although preparation of food on site, as the committee recommended, is the ideal scenario, we must take into account the fact that that is totally impractical in rural areas such as the area that I come from, where the school population is small. Staffing resources, fresh-food storage and the unpredictability of uptake all have major financial implications.
Overall, we are generally supportive of the bill at this stage, although we have some reservations.
There is talk of banning foods. We need to influence the culture of nutrition in schools, but we should not be heavy handed—let us take a carrot and not a stick approach. Banning certain foods seems a little too prescriptive, particularly in school hostels, where it is important not to be too heavy handed. Civil liberties and parental choice need to be respected.
Although preparation of food on site, as the committee recommended, is the ideal scenario, we must take into account the fact that that is totally impractical in rural areas such as the area that I come from, where the school population is small. Staffing resources, fresh-food storage and the unpredictability of uptake all have major financial implications.
Overall, we are generally supportive of the bill at this stage, although we have some reservations.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5339, in the name of Hugh Henry, that the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Schools (Hea...
The Minister for Education and Young People (Hugh Henry):
Lab
Improving the health of people in Scotland is a key priority for the Executive. We are taking action on a number of fronts to tackle our poor health record. ...
Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
The minister talks about the need for our children to be given the right start in life. Will he say why the Executive has set its face against extending the ...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
I will touch on that later.Before discussing the bill in detail, I thank the many pupils, parents and professionals from the education sector, health service...
Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I understand why the minister is cautious about introducing universal free school meals, but the Scottish National Party's amendment simply asks that the bil...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
I did not say anything about reviewing proposals for universal free school meals at a later date. As I explained, I do not accept the principle behind provid...
Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP):
SSP
Will the minister take an intervention?
Hugh Henry:
Lab
No, thank you.As I said, universal free school meals would make children in the poorest families no better off than they currently are.Ensuring that children...
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
Will the minister give way?
Hugh Henry:
Lab
No.Frances Curran's amendment is not factually accurate. The research in question is independent research, not research by Hull City Council, and I have been...
Frances Curran:
SSP
Does the minister accept that Labour councillors do not want to end the pilot, but Liberal Democrat councillors do, and that Labour councillors accept the re...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
Frances Curran talks about independent research, but her amendment states that the research was done by Hull City Council. Perhaps she can clarify for us at ...
Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
The SNP supports the general principles of the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill, which contains a great deal that we have called for ...
Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol):
Sol
Does the member agree that the minister misled Parliament when he said that universal free school meals would not help poorer kids? Evidence from the Child P...
Fiona Hyslop:
SNP
I agree. The minister misled us on two points, one of which the member has just raised. The other is that the issue has been considered by the Scottish Parli...
Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP):
SSP
At the outset, I say to the minister that we have evidence—which the Scottish Executive has tried to ignore for three years—that the provision of free, healt...
Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD):
LD
The member has made an interesting case, but so far she has not mentioned once how much the policy that she advocates would cost. Will she give Parliament an...
Frances Curran:
SSP
It would cost £73 million. Considering that the Scottish Executive's underspend over the past four years has left £1.3 billion in its Westminster bank accoun...
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
Will the member give way?
Frances Curran:
SSP
I have only a minute left in which to make my last few points.This is a politically sectarian bill that is not about nutrition. If it were, it would take on ...
Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
My initial reaction to the bill was a straight question: why do we need legislation to decide what our kids should eat? Was that not the aim of the hungry fo...
Frances Curran:
SSP
Does the member accept that that we know the reason? Research that has been done by a number of children's charities has shown that it is stigma.
Dave Petrie:
Con
I accept that stigma is a problem and was about to address the issue. I have taught in schools that operate a card system, to ensure anonymity, but let us ma...
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
Will the member give way?
Dave Petrie:
Con
I am sorry; I would struggle to finish if I did. There is talk of banning foods. We need to influence the culture of nutrition in schools, but we should not ...
Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD):
LD
I came to the bill halfway through the Communities Committee's consideration of it. I thank the clerks and my colleagues on the committee for their forbearan...
Frances Curran:
SSP
Will the member give way?
Mr Stone:
LD
In a second.A parallel argument that both Frances Curran and I accept is that it should be horses for courses when it comes to taxation—in other words, we sh...
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
Will the member give way?
Mr Stone:
LD
I will do so shortly, after I have given way to Frances Curran.It is worth remembering that, according to the Executive's calculations, it would cost £180 mi...