Agenda item

Further to Minute 13 of the meeting of the Committee held on 7^th July 2020, the Committee received a report inviting consideration of a Council Motion “Ban on Fast Food and Energy Drinks Advertising” that had been referred to the Committee for consideration.  The consideration was based upon two appendices to a submitted report.  Firstly, a report submitted in the first instance to the Committee at the meeting held on 7^th July 2020 (the ‘July report’), and secondly a draft ‘Health Weight and Physical Activity Strategy’ document, the submission of which had been requested by the Committee at the July 2020 meeting.  The Committee was advised that the draft Strategy had been compiled in the pre-Covid-19 period and would require redrafting to reflect changed circumstances and national direction before it could be resubmitted for formal consultation.

The July report had given a consideration to the Council Motion and had included a briefing on the evidence around fast food and energy drinks (or High Fat Sugar and Salt (HFSS) Foods) and which recommended that

·         any restriction or ban on such advertising should be accompanied by measures to promote healthier options; and

·         in support of a ban, any breach of the Committee on Advertising Practice Guidelines around advertising of HFSS foods should be referred to the Advertising Standards Agency.

The July report had further presented information in respect of the various action points of the Motion and the following issues were highlighted –

·         With regard to asking Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to consider an advertising ban similar to that introduced by the Mayor of London, details of the London ban, including the Transport for London (TfL) policy, and an initial view from TfGM which included noting the coverage of the London ban, the use to which TfGM’s advertising revenues were put, and some possible support for the promotion of healthier options;

·         With regard to the advertising or sale of fast food and energy drinks on Council property, a distinction was drawn between the Council’s immediate estate where such matters were considered as being addressed, and the Council’s managed or leased estate, it being noted that the equivalent TfL estate sat outside the London policy and that if the policy was extended to Council’s managed or leased estate this would lead to financial implications;

·         With regard to asking partners to make similar undertakings with regard to bans on sales and advertising, while this might be undertaken in isolation, the briefing paper within the July report noted that work to promote healthier options should sit alongside this.  The draft Strategy had proposed a multi-agency approach, to be led by the Health and Wellbeing Board, which would provide the base from which to share the Council’s experience and encourage others.

In discussion, it was suggested that the issue was one which would be very difficult to progress in isolation and that Oldham alone could make only small changes.  While the intent of the Motion was good, it was suggested that it would take leadership and support across Greater Manchester to make real progress.  As such, it might be more appropriate to refer the matter to the Cabinet, rather than to the Council, to consider the extent to which work with other authorities and bodies might progress this matter, and that any referral to Cabinet should include recommendations that discussions be held between all ten Greater Manchester Leaders and that the Mayor of Greater Manchester be asked to consider running a campaign on this issue in alongside the ten Leaders.

RESOLVED that

1.            the Motion be referred to the Cabinet with a recommendation that the issues raised within the Motion relating to a Ban on Fast Food and Energy Drinks Advertising be progressed on a Greater Manchester-wide basis, that the matter be raised with the Leaders of the other Greater Manchester authorities, and that the Mayor of Greater Manchester be requested to run a campaign on these issues in conjunction with the Greater Manchester local authorities;

2.            the Cabinet be requested to submit a progress report on actions taken to this Committee.