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Health Incentives Scheme
22 October 2021
Lead MP
Maggie Throup
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
TaxationBenefits & Welfare
Other Contributors: 25
At a Glance
Maggie Throup raised concerns about health incentives scheme in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The Minister announced a new £3 million pilot programme called 'Fit Miles' aimed at improving physical activity and diet in England. The scheme will involve the use of wrist-worn devices to generate personalised health recommendations, focusing on boosting step count, eating more fruit and vegetables, and lowering portion sizes. Users will earn points for making healthy changes that can unlock rewards such as vouchers, discounts, and gift cards. The pilot is set to launch next year with a focus on under-served groups, particularly those in areas of high deprivation. The Government has also committed £100 million towards tackling obesity previously and launched the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities this month.
Alex Norris
Lab
Nottingham North
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.
Jeremy Hunt
Con
Godalming and Waverley North
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.
Tony Lloyd
Lab
Rochdale
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.
Virginia Crosbie
Con
Broxbourne
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.
Edward Timpson
Con
Crewe and Nantwich
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.
Suzanne Webb
Con
Stourbridge
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.
Andrew Selous
Con
South West Bedfordshire
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.
Duncan Baker
Con
Orchestrating Norfolk
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.
Gary Sambrook
Lab
Stourbridge
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.
Lia Nici
Lab
Brent North
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.
Luke Evans
Con
Hinckley and Bosworth
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.
Peter Bone
Con
Wellingborough
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.
Tom Randall
Lab
Bolton West
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.
Sally-Ann Hart
Lab
Wansbeck
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.
Rutherglen and Hamilton West
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.
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.
Shaun Bailey
Lab
Bromsgrove
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.
James Wild
Con
North West Norfolk
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.
Kevin Hollinrake
Con
Thirsk and Malton
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.
Flick Drummond
Lab
Stroud
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.
Simon Fell
Con
Wycombe
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.
Richard Fuller
Con
North Bedfordshire
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.
Scott Benton
Con
High Peak
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.
Paul Howell
Con
Sedgefield
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.
Shadow Comment
Alex Norris
Shadow Comment
The Shadow Minister criticised the Government's cuts to public health funding, which have led to an increase in obesity rates among adults and children. He argued that tackling obesity requires addressing poverty as people from poorer communities are twice as likely to be obese due to limited food choices, exercise opportunities, and time constraints. The Labour Party is concerned that measures like universal credit reductions will exacerbate the situation by pushing millions towards less healthy alternatives.
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