Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report of the Chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee which required the Cabinet to consider the recommendations of the Health Scrutiny Committee in relation to a ban on fast food and Energy Drinks advertising.

At the meeting of the Council held on 11th September 2019 the Council referred the following Motion to the Overview and Scrutiny Board –

 “Council notes that:

•Fast food contains high level of fats, salt and sugar and energy drinks often contain high levels of caffeine and sugar.

•Excessive consumption of these products contributes to obesity, tooth decay, diabetes, gastro-intestinal problems, sleep deprivation and hyperactivity.

•The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health predicts half of all children in the UK will be overweight or obese by 2020.

•The Mayor of London banned all fast food advertising on publicly-controlled advertising spaces across London’s entire transport network.

•Sustain and Foodwatch recently published a report ‘Taking Down Junk Food Adverts’ which recommends that local authorities regulate adverts on public telephone boxes and that the Advertising Standards Authority should be able to regulate advertising outside nurseries, children’s centres, parks, family attractions and leisure centres.

As a local authority with a statutory responsibility for public health, Council believes that it should do all that is possible to discourage the consumption of fast food and energy drinks.

Council therefore resolves to:

•Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Executive of Transport for Greater Manchester asking TFGM to impose a ban on the advertising of fast food and energy drinks on publicly owned poster sites etc across the Greater Manchester transport network.

•Ensure that fast food or energy are not advertised on any hoarding or within any building owned by this Council including large advertisements on bus stops. 

•Ensure that such products are not sold to children or young people on any of our premises.

•Ask our NHS, social housing, voluntary and private sector partners, including the Mayor of Greater Manchester, to make a similar undertaking.

•Ask the Chief Executive to write to the relevant minister requesting the recommendations of the ‘Taking Down Junk Food Adverts’ report be adopted as government policy as soon as possible; copying in our local members of Parliament to seek their support.”

The matter was further referred to the Health Scrutiny Committee and consideration subsequently delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Health Scrutiny Committee gave full consideration to the Motion at a meeting held on 1st September 2020 on receipt of the report appended to this report.  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 considered to be good, it was further 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 back 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.

The Health Scrutiny Committee therefore 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.

Options/alternatives

Option 1 – That the Cabinet accept the recommendations and progress the motion.

Option 2 – That Cabinet do not accept the recommendations.

RESOLVED – That:

1.    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.    A progress report on actions taken in relation to the issues raised within the motion to a Ban on Fast Food and Energy Drinks Advertising be submitted to the Health Scrutiny Committee.