(Bury North) (Con)
What steps he is taking to tackle obesity among (a) adults and
(b) children.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care ()
Helping people to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is one of
the most important things we can do to improve our nation’s
health. That is why we published our healthy weight strategy last
summer. We are taking forward actions from previous chapters of
the childhood obesity plan, as well as further measures to get
the nation fit and healthy, protect against covid-19 and protect
the NHS. Question 25 on the call list is grouped with Question
26.
Mr Speaker
Yes, but unfortunately is not here.
You managed to jump in before could speak. Not to worry. We will go to .
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Encouraging an active lifestyle is a
crucial part of tackling the obesity challenge that our country
faces. Does my hon. Friend agree that local authorities, working
with partner agencies, should invest in iconic community venues
such as Gigg Lane in my constituency to house a wide range of
public health services and provide inspirational settings for
young people to take part in sport, no matter what their
background or personal circumstances?
I agree wholeheartedly that we should encourage all children to
make sure that they can take part in sports and enjoy the
outdoors. Regular physical exercise is important for the health
and wellbeing of young people, and the local community has an
important role to play in developing facilities. That is why the
Government launched a £150 million community ownership fund, to
ensure that communities across the UK can benefit from the local
facilities and amenities that are most important to them. That
includes community-owned sports clubs and sporting and leisure
facilities that are at risk of being lost without community
intervention, and I urge my hon. Friend to work with his
community to ensure that he has those facilities locally.
