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| The Commons health select committee is expected to support the celebrity chef's call |
A POWERFUL committee of MPs has thrown its weight behind plans to slap a tax on fizzy drinks in a bid to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity.
The House of Commons health select committee is expected to call for a 20 per cent tax, which has already been championed by TV chef Jamie Oliver. The committee, chaired by Tory MP and former GP Dr Sarah Wollaston, will back the proposal when it publishes the findings of its inquiry into childhood obesity a week tomorrow.
The Sunday Express understands that it may also call for a limit on the sale of fizzy drink multi-packs and an end to “buy one get one free” deals. The news comes only weeks after a report on sugar’s ruinous health effects was controversially delayed by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt causing uproar among health campaigners.
The report from the Government’s own advisory group, Public Health England, called for a sugar tax and a crackdown on two-for-one deals and the marketing of unhealthy products to children.
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| Most people do not realise how much sugar is in fizzy drinks |
Sugar Reduction: The Evidence For Action was originally meant to be published back in July but was delayed by the Department of Health, so its findings could be used to “inform” the Government’s forthcoming strategy.
We should be big and bold. Who is running the country? The businesses who are profiting from ill health or is it us?
Campaigner Jamie Oliver
Last month’s row came as Mr Oliver told MPs on the health committee that a tax would be the “single most important” change that could be made. He argued that it would be “deeply symbolic” as well as raise money which could be ploughed back into improving health.It has been estimated a 20 per cent sugar tax could raise up to a £1billion a year, which the chef wants to see shared between the NHS and primary schools.
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| Jamie Oliver is calling for a 20 per cent tax on fizzy drinks |
He has stressed that the most important reason for introducing a tax was the message it sent out and he argued fizzy drinks should be targeted because many consumers did not realise how much sugar they contained.He said: “We should be big and bold. Who is running the country? The businesses who are profiting from ill health or is it us?“Experts believe a tax of just 7p per regular-sized can of soft drink with added sugar could generate £1 billion a year. We believe this crucial revenue should be ring-fenced to support much needed preventative strategies in the NHS and schools around childhood obesity and diet-related disease.”
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| The healthy eating champion, Oliver, hopes the tax will act as a symbol for a new attitude to food |
Official advice currently recommends adults should consume no more than the equivalent of six or seven teaspoonfuls of sugar a day. A typical can of fizzy drink contains about nine teaspoonfuls.So far ministers have said they have no plans for a sugar tax, a view which was echoed last night. A statement from the Department of Health said: “The Government has committed to a tax lock to avoid raising the cost of living.“The causes of obesity are complex, caused by a number of dietary, lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors, and tackling it will require a comprehensive and broad approach. As such, the Government is considering a range of options for tackling childhood obesity.” The strategy is likely to be published in the New Year.What do you think – SHOULD NANNY STATE IGNORE CALLS FOR A SUGAR TAX?
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