4. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales'

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:31 pm on 22 October 2019.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 3:31, 22 October 2019

Okay. I think they're fair questions. I've tried to deal with the point about targets, and I reckon there are different views on this, so I won't try to pretend that there isn't a difference of view about whether we should or shouldn't have targets. In terms of the outcomes and the milestones, one of the first tasks of the implementation board will be to set out those milestones and targets. They'll be visible, they'll be published—they won't be secret and kept within my desk. And then you'll be able to see how we're looking to measure the progress that we make. And I fully expect that I'll have the opportunity, should I stay in this post, to come to committee to explain what progress is or isn't being made.

And, in terms of the leadership within the Government, I'm the lead Minister, but this is a whole-Government enterprise. If you look at all the different areas that we cover in this strategy, it certainly isn't just one Minister and one department. And that will again come back to the implementation board looking honestly at where we are and setting out who needs to do what, because the honest truth is that, if we don't get all parts of Government pointing in the same direction, we won't get our partners on board, and we won't get the biggest partner in all of this on board, and that's the public themselves. So, I think some of this will have to be about this is about the Government genuinely trying to work together with others. I'm the lead Minister, but we'll need to able to demonstrate the progress we're making in reality, and then, I think, that will be the best answer to your challenge about whether there's real accountability in implementing what is a shared vision. And I think there is widespread support for the areas of activity we recognise need to be undertaken.