Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit

02 December 2021 · 5 other contributors · 8,825 words

Opened by David Mundell Con Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale

Responding minister: Amanda Milling

ClimateForeign AffairsNHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

David Mundell raised concerns about tokyo nutrition for growth summit in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Malnutrition was linked to 45% of the more than 5 million under-five deaths in 2019.
  • In 2020, 149 million children worldwide suffered from chronic health conditions due to stunted growth.
  • The UK Government announced new funding to address malnutrition and committed to supporting over 55 million women, children, and girls since 2015.

Key requests to Government

Will the UK Government make a pledge at the Nutrition for Growth summit next week? Will they commit to reach 50 million women, adolescent girls and children with high-impact nutrition interventions by 2025? Will the FCDO increase the impact of other UK aid spending by adding nutrition objectives to £680 million of programming in other areas?

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

David Mundell Con Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale

Malnutrition was linked to 45% of the more than 5 million under-five deaths in 2019. In 2020, 149 million children worldwide suffered chronic health conditions due to stunted growth, with malnutrition affecting 40% of all children in some regions like central Africa. Malnutrition not only has dire health consequences but also impacts educational attainment and future potential. The number of under-five deaths worldwide has more than halved since 1990, showing that action and global cooperation have worked.

Other contributors (5)
  • Chris Law SNP Dundee Central

    Stressed the importance of nutrition as a fundamental human need, highlighting that over 957 million people are undernourished. Discussed how malnutrition impacts child development and economic potential, citing statistics on stunted growth and wasted children. Criticised UK Government cuts to nutrition programmes by 70%, from £118 million in 2018 to just £37 million this year.

  • Julie Elliott Lab Sunderland Central

    Ms Julie Elliott discussed the importance of diet and gut microbiome for health, highlighting a programme called Fermented Food for Life in Africa that provides affordable, nutritious foods by fermenting milk, fruits, cereals, and vegetables with beneficial bacteria. She mentioned that this programme could be replicated globally to improve nutritional uptake and overall health.

  • Patrick Grady SNP Galloway and West Dumfries

    He highlighted the importance of nutrition in development and praised David Cameron's work on sustainable development goals. He expressed concern over the significant cuts to UK aid for Malawi and other countries, stating that these cuts will have long-term consequences despite potential future budget increases. Paid tribute to the work of Mary's Meals, a Scottish charity focused on providing nutrition and school meals, highlighting its impact on education for girls.

  • Virendra Sharma Lab Ealing, Southall

    Expressed concern about the impact of cuts to the overseas development aid budget, particularly for nutrition programmes. Cited statistics indicating that an additional 3.6 million children are predicted to become stunted and 13.6 million children wasted by 2022 due to malnutrition arising from covid-19. Highlighted the efficiency and impact of nutrition spending, noting a return on investment of 16 times the initial cost. Corrected his constituency name from Ealing South to Ealing, Southall.

  • Yasmin Qureshi Lab Bolton South and Walkden

    Ms Qureshi highlighted the importance of addressing malnutrition globally, citing UNICEF reports that show a decline in progress due to crises such as covid-19. She mentioned that millions of children suffer from life-limiting outcomes due to poor nutrition and stressed the economic impact of undernutrition, reducing an individual's earning potential by 10% and having a global economic cost of $3.5 trillion. Concerned about proposed cuts in aid spending, she questioned if Britain is now looking at the near collapse of support for hungry children in some of the poorest countries.

Government Response

Amanda Milling

Began by thanking Members for their contributions to the debate on the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit. Acknowledged the global challenge of malnutrition, exacerbated by the pandemic and climate emergency, and highlighted the UK's commitment to addressing it through financial support and policy initiatives. Mentioned that the UK has supported over 55 million women, children, and girls since 2015 and provided £76 million in humanitarian assistance for nutrition in Ethiopia. Announced new funding and a doubling of aid for Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. Emphasized the importance of integrating food assistance with other support such as health, clean water, hygiene, and sanitation to focus on vulnerable populations, especially women and girls. Confirmed plans to adopt the OECD DAC policy marker on nutrition across the FCDO portfolio at the programme design phase.

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