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Junk food
will soon be banned in local schools.
School meals in North Ayrshire schools have been
transformed in recent years and it is already having a positive effect on
the health
of our young people.
 Local
Labour MSP Allan Wilson says junk food will soon be banned in local schools,
as part of the drive to turn around the health of North Ayrshire residents.
Ambitious plans to build on Scotland’s success in improving school meals
were published in a consultation paper – Improving the Health and Nutrition
of Scotland’s Children.
The Cunninghame North MSP highlighted that new proposals would place a duty
on local schools to become health promoting environments and make health
promotion a central purpose of schooling.
Other proposals include:
Introducing new powers for councils to provide nutritious snacks Introducing
systems to anonymise free school meal entitlement and promote uptake for the
poorest families Ensuring that all food and drinks provided by schools meet
tough nutritional standards Offering parents advice on healthy packed
lunches.
Speaking about the consultation paper, Allan Wilson MSP said:
“School meals in North Ayrshire schools have been transformed in recent
years and it is already having a positive effect on the health of our young
people. The consultation paper launched today contains ambitious proposals
to further improve diet for children and adults.
“Among the proposals are powers to allow councils to provide nutritious
snacks and introduce a system which would anonymise free school meal
entitlement, removing the stigma and encouraging uptake.
“The Executive’s Hungry for Success Initiative has put real ingredients back
into school meals and taken fat and sugar out. This consultation continues
that commitment, not just in North Ayrshire but throughout Scotland."
North Ayrshire residents can have their say on the proposals by taking part
in the consultation which can be accessed at
www.scotland.gov.uk.
Notes:
The First Minister announced the intention to consult in the legislative
statement in 2005. This consultation will run until July 31, 2006. The Bill
will be ready for presentation to Parliament in autumn 2006.
Hungry for Success introduced nutritional standards for school meals.
Primary schools had to meet these from December 2004. Secondary schools have
until December 2006. Nutritional standards:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/02/16273/17571#10
The Executive has provided £135 million funding to local authorities to
implement Hungry for Success.
The Scottish Executive's policies to improve health have received
endorsements from the World Health Organisation and the European Commission
as the example for other countries to follow.
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