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Junk food ban to be served up in schools | Quote: | Junk food ban to be served up in schools
3rd May 2006
Unhealthy food is set to be banned from Scottish schools, as part of the Scottish Executive’s drive to improve Scotland’s health.
Ambitious plans to build on Scotland's success in improving school meals were published today in a consultation paper entitled Improving the Health and Nutrition of Scotland's Children.
According to the proposals, a duty is to be placed on councils to promote uptake of free school meals for poorest families, all food and drinks provided by schools should meet tough nutritional standards and parents are to be given advice on healthy packed lunches. Under these proposals, councils will be under a duty to introduce systems to anonymise free school meal entitlement.
All Scottish schools will be have a duty placed on them to make health promotion a central purpose of schooling.
Education Minister Peter Peacock said: "Scottish school meals have been transformed. This is already having a positive effect on the health of our young people. But we want to go further. Our plans build on the success already seen and will make sure that every pupil gets the nutritious food they need to succeed throughout the school day.”
"By ensuring that all food and drink in schools is healthy and nutritious, we are making it even easier for children to stick to the healthy options and to enjoy the long-term health benefits that come with that.”
Health Minister Andy Kerr added: "We are improving diet for children and adults by working in schools and across communities, taking steps to increase physical activity, and making the right changes in the health services to help those most at risk of ill-health.”
"Making the healthy choice the easy choice is at the centre of this. We need to create the right environment for people to make a change and make a difference to their health."
The Scottish Executive's policies to improve health have received endorsements from the World Health Organisation and the European Commission as the example for other countries to follow.
However, ministers have ruled out giving free school meals to everyone and claim that to do so would cost nearly £200 million. |
http://www.holyrood.com/nav/news/stories/story.asp?story=ed71
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