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Question
The hon. Gentleman questioned whether the pilot adequately addresses poverty and its impact on obesity rates, citing the £20-a-week cut to universal credit as likely worsening health outcomes. He also called for a commitment that those invited to join the pilot would come from communities most in need of such support.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledged the common goal of tackling obesity but defended existing measures and funding allocations, emphasising the £100 million already committed towards this issue alongside other initiatives. She noted the importance of focusing on the right geographical areas for the pilot to maximise its impact.
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Question
Asked the Minister about her plans to address childhood obesity, especially in regards to mandatory daily sports activities in schools.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the importance of addressing child obesity but stated that while she has not yet met with the Department for Education, it is a high priority. Highlighted personal experiences and encouraged future policy discussions.
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Question
Called for greater engagement in sports for girls and young women to address obesity.
Minister reply
Noted the importance of engaging both males and females across all age groups. Mentioned existing programmes encouraging women's participation in sports.
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Question
Asked if the scheme focuses on lifestyle changes rather than weight loss.
Minister reply
Confirmed that the focus is on empowering individuals to make healthier choices and not stigmatizing obesity.
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Question
Encouraged continued support for the primary PE and sport premium, worth around £320 million annually.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the importance of the funding and expressed commitment to maintaining it.
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Question
Called for a shift away from ultra-processed food, which is high in fat, salt, and addictive substances.
Minister reply
Agreed with the sentiment and noted positive reformulation changes due to measures like the soft drinks levy.
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Question
Suggested looking into making healthier food options cheaper, referencing Jamie Oliver’s Bite Back 2030 initiative.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the issue and stated that she is investigating it further.
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Question
Congratulated himself for completing a marathon, emphasising benefits for physical and mental health.
Minister reply
Complimented the MP on his achievement and highlighted the importance of exercise for mental well-being.
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Question
Highlighted the role of community organisations in promoting healthier lifestyles.
Minister reply
Agreed that community-based activities are crucial and encouraged local MPs to participate actively.
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Question
Stated that the initiative is key to protecting the NHS by promoting healthy lifestyles.
Minister reply
Agreed, noting the cost of obesity to the NHS and its broader impact on individuals' health.
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Question
Asked about targeting the pilot particularly at those suffering from type 2 diabetes.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the connection between obesity and type 2 diabetes, noting that learning points from the pilot could inform future initiatives.
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Question
Questioned why this statement was made on private Members' Bill day instead of Government time.
Minister reply
Stated that obesity is a top priority, and the urgency of levelling up health disparities necessitated an early update.
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Question
Asked about drawing on best practices from around the world for the scheme.
Minister reply
Confirmed that global schemes are being considered, aiming to lead in this area by combining international best practice.
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Question
Asked about robust measures to ensure users genuinely improve their behavior for access to rewards.
Minister reply
Reassured that checks and balances will be in place to verify user behavior and prevent fraud.
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Question
Can my hon. Friend reassure the House that we will look at best value for money with the scheme to ensure that we are saving money for the NHS? The last thing that any of us want to do is spend more money and not get financial rewards to protect our NHS and ensure that we have healthier lifestyles for everyone.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes a very good point. We are investing some money in the new pilot and we are confident that it will give us some outcomes that we can work on to take measures forward. If we can save a fraction of the £6 billion, it will be still be a huge saving for people’s health, but, obviously, we want to make sure that this is about saving money and saving lives.
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Mike Wood
Con
Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
Question
I am tempted to ask the Minister whether bobbing in this place might count towards the app’s incentives. I know that all Members will appreciate my hon. Friend’s courtesy in making a statement to the House rather than this being announced in a press conference later in the day. As well as the national steps challenge, the Singapore Government launched its Healthy 365 app around a year ago. Will the Minister be looking both at Governments around the world and at businesses and public sector organisations in the United Kingdom that already operate app-based fitness incentives to make sure that we learn from the best and avoid replicating others’ mistakes?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes a very good point. Yes, we know that there is a lot of experience out there and we want to pull everything together to make sure that we have an effective pilot and know how we move forward from that to help people to get healthy, get fit and enjoy good lives.
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Question
Sometimes the risk of such schemes is that they become a little bit siloed. We have heard, in contributions from other Members, talk about co-operation. Can my hon. Friend reassure me that any insights will be used to inform the response across Government, and that she will ensure that we take a collaborative approach to ensure a long-term gain, not a short-term success?
Minister reply
I reassure my hon. Friend that we want to ensure that this is a long-term success. It is a pilot, so we cannot pre-determine the outcome. However, tackling obesity and the disparities that come with it are a No. 1 priority for the Prime Minister, and that goes across all Government Departments.
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Question
Three weeks ago, I joined my hon. Friend the Member for North Norfolk (Duncan Baker) and other hon. Members in running the London marathon. Modesty precludes me from saying which of us finished fastest. Does my hon. Friend agree that running, particularly the daily mile, is great exercise? Will she join me in congratulating everyone involved in King’s Lynn park run, which has just celebrated its 100,000th finisher?
Minister reply
I am delighted to congratulate King’s Lynn park run on its achievements, as well as park runs across the whole country. I am not a great runner—I am more of a sprinter—so I tend to avoid them, but I know the enjoyment that can be achieved by going along and improving one’s fitness, as well as the sense of community they bring with them.
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Question
As somebody who is carrying a Westminster stone, I could definitely do with losing a few pounds myself. More than three decades ago, I was more than six stone heavier than I am today. I lost that weight without the need for airmiles and Nectar points. Does my hon. Friend agree that the most important factors in good health are personal discipline and personal responsibility?
Minister reply
I completely agree with my hon. Friend, who obviously has great motivation. We want to help everybody to have great motivation. If we can do that through an app, we will be able to find out what really helps people to make such changes to their lives.
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Question
I, too, welcome the pilot, which I hope will help to tackle growing obesity. As the Chair of the Health Committee commented, obesity often starts in schools—I think one in five schoolchildren are obese by the time they leave year 6—so would it not be a good idea to extend the pilot to schools? I know how excited children are when they wear gadgets. That might help them to start to work towards a healthy lifestyle.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes a very good point. Kids are excited by new technology, but the pilot will be for people aged 18 and over. I take on board her suggestion and perhaps we can look at other ways to encourage kids to use technology to improve their outcomes.
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Question
I welcome this announcement. We cannot, unfortunately, all have the iron will of my hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton (Kevin Hollinrake), but study after study shows that gamification really does drive positive behaviour. Can my hon. Friend confirm that this is just one part of the Government’s strategy and that we are also looking at changing physical infrastructure to improve cycling and walking access?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes a very good point. We cannot do this with one action alone. To me, it is very much cross-departmental. Whether it is through planning legislation or encouraging people to be more active, there are lots of different ways we can tackle obesity and the health disparities it brings with it.
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Question
I am sorry to strike a discordant note, but with regard to the Minister’s justification for this measure may I remind her that it is not the role of life to support the NHS; it is the role of the NHS to support life? Many despair of an obsessive cult within the Department of Health and Social Care for nudging. Can the Minister advise me on how this proposal is different from a social credit system that is adopted in other countries?
Minister reply
We want to have a whole range of measures to tackle obesity. The important thing is that we know how much obesity costs the NHS—£6 billion is a huge amount. That money could provide for a lot of more operations. There are a lot of other ways to stop people becoming obese, or to help them to lose weight and become more active. That is better for the NHS and saves money for the NHS, but it also helps people’s lives as well.
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Question
As the Prime Minister pointed out at the Conservative party conference, life expectancy in Blackpool is 15 years lower than it is in some areas just a few miles away. This scheme will help to reduce those disparities. Does the Minister agree that Blackpool would be the ideal location for this pilot scheme?
Minister reply
I am not going to give a one-word answer on this occasion, but obviously the location will be chosen carefully and will be announced in due course.
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Question
The importance of engagement with the pilot survey has already been mentioned. Sedgefield, like most of our constituencies, has various demographics, but I am thinking of certain neighbourhoods in particular. The all-party parliamentary group for “left behind” neighbourhoods, which I chair, found that some areas do not have the capacity even to become engaged in programmes such as this. May I encourage the Minister to include people in “left behind” neighbourhoods in the survey? We have organisations such as Junction 7 in Newton Aycliffe, and if schools are likely to be involved, I have some fantastic ambassadors at Ferryhill.
Minister reply
Obviously we will be looking at ways in which we can engage people, and ensure that they are fully aware of the pilot and have ready access to it.