 Dymaf incredible-erwadau. The next item of business is pratic pearls, a statement by Jenny Minto, Against Diet and Healthy Weight Consultations. The minister will take questions at, at the end of her statement, and so there should be no intervention or interruption. I call on Jenny Minto up to 10 minutes, Minister. As the new minister for public health and women's health, I welcome the opportunity to re-affirm the Scottish government's of a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight. In 2018 we publishied our diet and healthy weight delivery plan, detailing how we would seek to improve the health of our nation with preventative action at its heart. It makes clear that to achieve Scotland's dietary goals to realise our aim to have childhood obesity by 2030 and reduce diet-related health inequalities requires action to support healthier options. Fel y cyngorau emfrewddio, a oedden yn dweud o gaelidau cyngor ddeiligus wedi'i dwygen halynol, fuddwyd llyfrydiau cyngor, oedd iawn cymrydau cyngor i'n edrych, cynnynog cyllidegau oeddau. Efallai, rydyn ni'n ddiwedd i gyrw Ctrlau i'r wych o gaelidau o ddweud o ddwygen gyfrifiadau. Mae'r gwrs maen nhw'r rhain ar gyfer cymrydau a'r leoedd am gweithio a'r meidydd, maen nhw'r gyrwm cyllidau ar gyfer yn gwirio gan gyrwm cyllidau i'r gweld, ond drich, sak, sugar oesl. Y gadefegoedd yn eich consultaidd yw'r ysgrifeniadunting trefwn i'r devi chwarae i holl iechyd, dysw ni dudegahanol, ac know ymdodig i d partnerithau ei nghyliåd trazö [? ddiwyllion ?] mae'r Rhudd intersectionsnes ap yn y gwirionedd ac i gyddiol i dwylo. Be'u ei gwrthodir i gael IOETH neu sieer o readsom yniltonod o'r Wladwr Eirsteins Cadw entodynu growio yma yn gyrdan synthיא Rhe Allanngen, gwx abroadrydd dynceğiz reall Aberder caso'r gwirionedd The aim of this consultation was to inform our consideration of whether there is sufficient cause and evidence to mandate restrictions on their sale. An evidence-based approach is central to the development of our policy. We have carefully considered the responses received in conjunction with the current evidence base and today published an evidence brief on energy drinks alongside the consultation analysis report. Based on those considerations we do not consider the evidence base to be sufficiently developed to pursue mandatory measures at this time. I recognise that consumption of energy drinks is a significant concern to parents, teachers and young people. We will therefore continue to support voluntary measures to restrict the sale of energy drinks to children and will keep under review how those could be strengthened. We will also consider what additional evidence gathering and analysis could be undertaken. That includes around the impacts of current voluntary actions and understanding young people's consumption of energy drinks and the contribution that this makes to their total caffeine intake, which will help to inform consideration of possible mandatory measures in the future. Next, I turn to our consultation on mandating calorie information in the out-of-home sector, fulfilling a commitment in our 2021 out-of-home action plan. This consultation was accompanied by a rapid evidence review carried out by Food Standards Scotland, which found that mandating calorie labelling would likely lead to a reduction of calorie intake when eating out or ordering in. In January this year, Nesta, the UK's innovation agency for social good, published research confirming that calorie labelling in an online environment leads to calorie reduction. That was potentially a substantial reduction, depending on how calorie information was presented. Out-of-home calorie labelling has been mandated for large businesses in England since April last year. That has resulted in many UK-wide high street chains now including such information on their menus and outlets in Scotland. I am grateful to all 660 respondents to our consultation and to the wide range of business, health, charity and consumer organisations that engaged with my officials. A strong case has been made by many respondents that requiring calorie information at the point of choice where people eat out or order in will help them to make more informed, healthier choices and that it will encourage reformulation and allow us to better monitor population calorie intakes in the out-of-home situation. I also want to thank the eating disorders charity Beatt for the constructive way in which it has engaged with our consultation. Beatt has helped us to hear from people affected by eating disorders who are concerned that mandatory calorie labelling will make their illness worse. Those accounts are powerful, they are real and we cannot ignore them. We need a better understanding of the lived experiences of those with an eating disorder. I welcome that Public Health Scotland has commissioned research on the issue due in the autumn. We are committed to assessing the impact of our policies and are reflecting on all the responses that are gathered, including those views of people affected by eating disorders. We also wish to have further discussions with the hospitality sector before taking a decision to proceed with this measure. Therefore, I believe that we should pause before making a final decision on the next steps in relation to mandating calorie labelling. Let me now turn to the third consultation on restricting the promotion of less healthy food and drink where they are sold to the public. We know that promotions such as multi-buy offers or placements at check-outs can directly influence what people buy. That is what they are designed to do. Promotions can encourage us to buy things we do not need, overlooking cheaper, healthier alternatives. Restricting promotions of less healthy food and drink is an important step to encourage healthier options, making it easier for people to spend less and make healthier choices. Work on this policy was paused in 2020 as we sought to ascertain the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on both consumers and businesses. We have used this time to gather and consider additional evidence on our proposals while taking into account the pandemic action in other parts of the United Kingdom, EU exit and cost of living pressures. Building on a previous consultation before the Covid-19 pandemic, we consulted on our proposals last summer, including on opportunities to be consistent with promotion restrictions in England, where it is in Scotland's best interest to do so. We keep our policies and the plans for their delivery under regular review, with evaluation firmly embedded into the policymaking, implementation and delivery cycle. Having done this important work, we have reviewed whether primary legislation is necessary and have concluded that there is a more direct and efficient route to deliver our policy aims. Therefore, rather than introducing the Public Health Restriction of Promotions Bill, I instead plan to consult on the detail of proposed regulations this autumn. That includes proposals to restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drinks in prominent locations in store, for example at the end of aisles and beside check-outs. We also propose to target certain price promotions, which encourage people to buy more than they actually need—for example, multibies and unlimited refills. I recognise that businesses, as well as individuals, have experienced a number of significant challenges over the last few years. Our forthcoming consultation will provide an opportunity for them to provide views on the detail of the proposed regulations, including on timescales for implementation. In line with the principles of the new deal for business, that will be done in parallel with an extensive programme of engagement to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to engage and have their voice heard. My officials and I look forward to engaging with our stakeholders, including businesses, as our policy continues to develop. Further more, we will continue to work with the Joint Regulatory Task Force and COSLA to consider the differing impacts of regulation on business to improve the process of developing, implementing and reviewing regulations to meet our economic and societal aims for the longer term. I have focused today on the outcomes of three diet-related consultations and our planned next steps. Those include, on energy drinks, the continued support of voluntary measures to restrict the sale of energy drinks to children while keeping under review how those could be strengthened, including the consideration of additional evidence, gathering and analysis to inform further consideration of possible mandatory measures in the future. In mandating calorie labelling, to allow more time to consider the potential impact of mandating calorie labelling on those with a needing disorder, ensuring that we have a robust evidence base to further inform any additional steps that we might take in due course. Finally, on restrictions of promotions, I will be taking forward a more focused consultation in the autumn on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drink where they are sold to the public. Clearly, no policy in isolation can achieve our vision of a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight. Our diet and healthy weight delivery plan sets out a challenging package of actions that collectively will have a greater impact. As I take stock of progress, I commend the work to date while noting that there is still more to be done. I remain committed to the key outcomes of the delivery plan and I am confident that, together with our public, private and third sector partners, by progressing the commitments set out today, we can meet those challenges and encourage people to make healthier choices about food. The minister will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions after which we will move on to the next item of business. I would be grateful if members wished to ask a question where to press their request to speak buttons now. As a practicing GP, the obesity crisis that has developed in Scotland is something that I am all too familiar with. Our country has one of the worst records in the world on obesity, with two thirds of all adults of Scotland being overweight. Make no mistake, obesity is one of the biggest issues in our health service, estimated to cost up to 600 million a year. For some reason—this is an issue that the SNP has declined to take action on for the past 16 years—the prevalence of overweight people has increased over the past 10 years. The percentage of children at a healthy weight is at its lowest ever level. This statement does little to address the obesity epidemic sweeping across Scotland. The minister's statement amounts to one energy drink—we won't do this—and two, mandating calorie labelling—we're not sure. Three, restrictions of promotions—let's do some more thinking. What was the point of this statement? How much money has been spent to date on these consultations? What actual concrete work and action is the minister taking? I thank Sandesh Gilhane for his questions. I would refute that the Scottish Government has been doing nothing. For the past five years, there has been a lot of evidence being gathered to ensure that we bring in the right policies for the right people within Scotland. We have got a whole suite of policies. It's not just—as I said at the end of my statement—that it's not just those that I have discussed in this statement. We are also looking at giving the child payment, which allows people on the poverty gap to have the money in their pockets to allow them to purchase the right foods. There are also a number of pieces of work regulations that have been brought in on a voluntary level, which the Scottish Government supports in the work that they are doing. We are moving forward. We are ensuring that we bring in the right policies for the right people listening to groups. For example, I talked about BEAT and people with food crisis illnesses. We are listening to them to ensure that the policy that we bring in with regard to calorie limits on out-of-home eating are correct, proportionate and proper. The importance of getting this right cannot be overstated. Delivering positive and tangible actions to improve diet and tackle obesity is crucial to improving the health of the nation and eradicating health inequalities. However, yet again, we have another ministerial statement that shows little to no progress. It is a Government that is no stranger to a strategy but has a terrible relationship with delivery. The minister should be here to explain why the Scottish Government has made so little progress in this area since the plan was established five years ago. Please explain why so little progress has been made. I disagree that little progress has been made. We have been working hard with stakeholders across healthy eating and businesses to ensure that we bring in the right policies. As I have said in my statement, we need to have robust evidence and support to ensure that we bring in the right policies that will impact on the right people. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support community kitchen initiatives that support those on low incomes to access the right tools and resources to help them eat a healthy diet. I thank Evelyn Tweed for her question. It is a really important one. Community food networks help to promote healthier diets in disadvantaged groups, whether that is due to the lack of income, cultural barriers or poor skills. They provide a broad range of activities, including cooking classes, benefit checks, grow your own groups, cafes and food pantries. We have also provided the online resource Eat Well Your Way, which was launched last year by Food Standards Scotland. That gives easy access to evidence-based advice on how to eat well based on the Eat Well guide. The minister spoke of having further discussions with the hospitality sector before taking decisions on the issue of mandatory calorie labelling in the out-of-home sector. Our struggling hospitality sector has been ignored all too often in the past by this Government and it cannot be allowed to happen again. Can the minister please outline what form she sees those discussions taking place and when they will start? I thank Craig Hoy for that question. I was clear in my statement that we need to involve business in these decisions, but we have to get the balance right between public health and business. With regard to the new deal that this Government is operating on, there is a wish to speak more directly with business and understand the concerns, because I recognise the points that you raised with regard to the level of regulations that are coming through. However, I think that we will get the best solutions working with business to ensure that we can bring things in a timely manner that allows them to work with us to ensure that the public health benefits are met. Emma Harper, to be called by Claire Baker. There is significant evidence that shows that ultra-high-process foods directly link to obesity, poor diet, malnourishment and negative health implications. Can the minister describe some of the specific policy work that is being carried out to use the evidence related to ultra-high-process food, which particularly impacts low-income families to help improve diet and health outcomes? I am aware that the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition considered ultra-process foods in June last year and that it is now carrying out a scoping review of the evidence on ultra-process foods and health with a view to publishing a position paper on processed foods and health this summer. Ministers in Food Standards Scotland remain committed to using the latest scientific consensus of established evidence to inform our consideration of ultra-process foods, and we will consider the findings of the review once available. Although there is no universally agreed definition of ultra-process foods, we know that many processed foods are high in fat, sugar or salt, which can contribute to diet-related conditions. Those HFSS foods in targeted food and drink categories would be subject to proposed promotions and restrictions. Clare Baker, to be followed by Clare Hawley. Organisations and professionals who have argued for action will be bitterly disappointed by this statement today. Obesity Action Scotland earlier this month asked itself, so can Scotland have childhood obesity by 2030? Based on the current direction of travel, the answer is almost certainly no. I would ask the minister how much more evidence gathering is there going to be when the results of an action is steering us in the face, and, for example, out of our sector, kids' food is too often unhealthy food, so what action are they going to take to tackle children's poor choices in the out-of-house sector? As I said earlier, I believe that it is important that we ensure that we get the right robust evidence to ensure that we bring in the right policies. As I have said before, we have also brought in a number of policies to support the reduction of obesity in children. As we took evidence from the Good Food Nation Bill, we learned that in local authorities where the 1140 hours was allowing more time to be spent with children ensuring that they got nutritious healthy food, that had a knock-on effect with regard to the food choices that they were making later on in primary school. Within primary school, we have improved the choice of food there. It is not a one-stop shop. There will be a lot of different things that can change and also bring the obesity levels down. With regard to out-of-home eating, there has been work done on a voluntary basis to discuss what is in the menus. That is an improvement, and that is what I am working with my officials to ensure that we get the right information to enable us to make the right policy decisions to ensure that we meet the ambition of having childhood obesity obesity by 2030. Can the minister provide more detail about how the Scottish Government will ensure that businesses have sufficient time to prepare for the implementation of restriction of promotions of unhealthy food and drinks? We plan to consult on the detail of proposed regulations this autumn with a plan to lay regulations before Parliament next year, subject to the outcome of that consultation. There will be a period between regulations being laid before Parliament and regulations coming into force to enable industry to fully prepare. Our consultation this autumn will include consulting on an appropriate lead in time for businesses ahead of regulations coming into force. Our prior engagement with stakeholders has been on the basis that these restrictions would not come into force before 2025 at the earliest. That still remains the case. We recognise the challenges that businesses are experiencing in the current economic climate, and we have and will continue to engage widely with business stakeholders on business impacts and are developing a suite of impact assessments for the policy, including a business regulatory impact assessment. We have just heard that there will be a pause to steps to bring forward mandatory calorie counting on menus. This is very welcome. The evidence of harm to those with or at risk of eating disorders is widespread, and that is why Scottish Liberal Democrats have opposed such plans from the outset. It is not just the dems that oppose it—stakeholders named in the statements do too—but also 80 per cent of respondents to the Government's own consultation. What does she expect to pause to tell her that she does not already know, and why not just answer the calls of campaigners by axing and scrapping those plans entirely? I thank the member for his question. It is important to review the population as a whole and not just make decisions on one element of the population. We have taken cognisance of what decisions have been made in England, and we are looking to gather further information with regard to speaking to Beatt and looking to see how we can work with them to provide the right information, whether it is online, which allows people to make a decision as to what they are purchasing for out-of-home food, and also on restaurants and fast food restaurant menus, as they have brought in in England. Can the minister outline what the Scottish Government considers could be the broad benefits of restricting promotions on unhealthy food and drink, and how that fits in with the Scottish Government's focus on improving health and reducing health inequalities? I thank Jackie Dunbar for her question. I am clear that I want to reduce public health harms associated with the excess consumption of calories, fats, sugar and salt, including the risks of developing type 2 diabetes, various types of cancer and other conditions such as cardiovascular disease. I also want to reduce diet-related health inequalities, including in relation to socio-economic disadvantage. The food environment is often skewed towards the promotion of less healthy food and drink, encouraging extra spend and higher calorie intake, as I referenced in my statement. Promotions do not necessarily represent good value. They can encourage us to buy things we do not need, overlooking cheaper, healthier alternatives. By restricting the promotion of less healthy food and drink, we will make it easier for people to spend less and make healthier food choices. Changes to the food environment, such as restricting promotions, are likely to be more effective in reducing health inequality. It is often easier to ban things and demonise those who are overweight than to encourage and empower people to make positive lifestyle choices. With only one in five adults in Scotland eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegaday, I figure that has remained unchanged since this Parliament was created. What practical steps are the Scottish Government taking to ensure those who live in Scotland of food rich nation can benefit from affordable local produce, growth in good health and supporting our farmers? I thank Oliver Mundell for his question and I agree that it is a holistic approach that we need to take to this. We need to support people to make the right lifestyle choices. One of the ways that the Scottish Government is moving in that direction is with the Good Food Nation Act, which will ensure that local authorities—the Scottish Government provides a plan as local authorities and also health boards—are incredibly important. Your right local food is a great way to ensure that we can do that, not only from a food mile perspective, but also adding the economic benefit to our farmers and food growers. Across Scotland, there are fantastic opportunities for local organisations. I referenced them in Evelyn Tweed's conversation where communities have community gardens that allow them to grow, so not only are they getting the healthy food, but they are also getting the exercise to improve their general wellbeing. That is the point that I have been trying to make, because this is a holistic solution that we need to solve. I am very supportive of local food initiatives, as well as what is happening with the Good Food Nation Act. The consultation analysis report on energy drinks highlights that respondents suggested the need to focus on education about energy drinks, on the labelling of energy drinks and the need for an easily understood and straightforward definition of energy drinks and which drinks would be captured under that definition. Can the minister advise what action is being taken to address those concerns? Yes, I agree that we have to have clear labelling. There is a code of practice that ensures that there is that level of labelling on energy drinks. Energy drinks are defined as ones that are over 150 milligrams per litre of caffeine. It is important that that signage is very clear on those drinks. It is also important to point out that, in primary schools, those are not allowed to be provided within the school estate. In secondary schools, as part of the curriculum for excellence, pupils are taught about energy drinks and only given them at a time so that they can recognise that it is almost a treat. I grew up so that it was normally water, except that you get a treat for energy drinks. There are a number of ways that we are trying to do that, but I think that key is making sure that there is the right information on the cans. Can the minister expand on how the Scottish Government has engaged with those with lived experience in relation to calorie labelling? Will the Scottish Government commit to continue to listen to their views going forward? The Scottish Government has engaged extensively with BEAT, the largest charity for people with an eating disorder throughout the consultation process. I am also grateful for the large number of responses to our consultation from people with eating disorder, their family members, friends and carers. We will continue to engage with BEAT once Public Health Scotland has completed its research into the impact of calorie labelling on the lived experience of people with an eating disorder. We are committed to taking into account how calorie labelling might affect those individuals. The recent health inequalities in Scotland report cited a 24-year gap in the time spent in good health between people living in the most and least deprived 10 per cent of local areas in Scotland. The reality is that making healthier choices is a privilege for many people in Scotland, so does the minister accept that the Government has to address the root cause of health inequalities in order to improve health outcomes? I thank Paul Sweeney for that question. As I have said in previous answers, I believe that it is a holistic approach that we need to take, and yes, we need to work very closely with those suffering health inequalities. The child payment is one of those. I have referenced that earlier. It puts the money directly into people's hands to allow them to make these decisions, and I think that that is incredibly important. We also work closely with the wider public health to support communities across Scotland to ensure that they are, along with third sector colleagues and partners, to ensure that the support that members of various communities get is really helpful with regards to healthy eating, wellbeing and exercise, which ties in as importantly with the healthy food that people eat as well.