Childhood Obesity

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:20 pm on 25 April 2018.

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Photo of Lynne Neagle Lynne Neagle Labour 3:20, 25 April 2018

Thank you. As the Cabinet Secretary knows, Welsh Government will be receiving some £57 million as part of the new soft drinks levy, and I was concerned to see how little of that money is going to be spent on measures to tackle childhood obesity, which is very different to the approach being taken in the rest of the UK. I know that there are good schemes out there. The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has taken lots of evidence on things that would make a big difference to children and young people and I know that the Welsh Local Government Association have been talking to officials about an exercise referral scheme for children and young people and also a scheme working with Public Health Wales that would ensure better use of things like third generation sports facilities in Wales. Will the Cabinet Secretary look at that money closely to ensure that we do use a much better proportion of that to tackle what is really a major public health challenge of our time? Thank you.