Jane Ellison MP

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health

Department of Health

Richmond House

79 Whitehall

London SW1A 2NS

Date: 22^nd October 2015

Dear Jane,

As a signatory of Early Day Motion 414, I very much hope that the Government will look carefully at all the evidence supporting the benefits of a sugar tax. You have indicated that there will be a forthcoming strategy to tackle childhood obesity and I support calls from many of my constituents that this include a duty on drinks made with added sugar. This would exclude most fruit juices or drinks made with sweeteners and instead target the soft drinks products that account for almost a third of and young adults’ total free sugars intake.

In Mexico, France, Hungary and Finland, variations on a sugar tax have all resulted in a drop in demand for sugary drinks and I am sure your department will be monitoring with interest the pilot between Jamie Oliver’s restaurant group, Leon and Abokado, in partnership with Sustain. The money they raise will be put into a Children’s Health Fund and I’d advocate funds from a national scheme, which experts think could raise between £300m and £1bn in its first year, are hypothecated to pay for programmes which improve children’s health and the environment in which they grow up.

According to Sustain, childhood obesity is associated with conditions such as insulin resistance, hypertension, the early signs of heart disease and poor mental health. 28% of five year olds have tooth decay, with dental health problems being the number one reason children of this age are admitted to hospital. There is growing and widespread support for action to reduce sugar consumption, given the health risks for individuals and the estimated £5bn a year that the health problems associated with being overweight or obese cost the NHS. The British Heart Foundation, the Government’s own nutrition policy advisor, London Health Commission Chair and various dental and medical professional bodies all back a Government imposed national sugary drink duty.

I welcome the Government’s commitment to tackling childhood obesity and very much hope you will ensure the strategy can deliver real results by including a sugar tax.

My constituents and I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,