Thank you for emailing me about the recent discussion of taxes on salt and sugar.
I welcome the publication of the first part of the National Food Strategy, which will kickstart a full review of our food system. I have read with interest the recommendations made in the report, in particular those concerning nutrition for disadvantaged families and children. A key recommendation is to expand the number of eligible children for free school meals by an additional 1.5 million, taking the total number of children to 2.6 million. The coronavirus outbreak has made the importance of good nutrition for children even clearer and I am sure that Ministers will consider these recommendations carefully. However, the Prime Minister has stated that he is ‘not attracted’ to the prospect of new taxes on sugar and salt.
The soft drinks industry levy has undoubtedly been a success, with the latest statistics showing sugar content of soft drinks dropping by 44 per cent. The sugar content in breakfast cereals, yoghurt and fromage frais has also dropped. I welcome that the funds for the National School Breakfast (NSB) Programme and other successful programmes have come from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL). This demonstrates how these funds have been used, as was intended, to invest in improving children’s health and providing them with healthy food. Recent research has shown that the SDIL led to a reduction in sugar purchased in soft drinks one year after implementation of the levy, but no overall change in the total volume of drinks sold. This means that consumers are buying less sugar, while industry’s bottom line remains largely unscathed.
Thank you again for contacting me.