Over 200 MPs sign-up to protect children from junk food adverts

Over 200 Members of Parliament from all parties have signed up to protect children from junk food adverts before 9pm.

This boost for the campaign for a 9pm watershed comes as the first of the new restrictions on junk food advertising came into effect at the beginning of April.

209 MPs have now signed the Parliamentary Early Day Motion 404, which specifically calls for a 9pm watershed for junk food adverts and welcomes the Bill to introduce this measure, which Baroness Thornton has introduced into Parliament.

Children's Food Campaign Coordinator, Richard Watts, said: "The momentum behind the campaign for a 9pm watershed is growing all the time.  The rules on junk food advertising that have just come into place are desperately weak.  For example, they will not cover any of the programmes most watched by children, or advertising for any junk food brands."

One of the reasons behind the success of the motion in Parliament is a postcard campaign run by the British Heart Foundation and the Children's Food Campaign.  This has already resulted in over 1500 members of the public writing to their MP, asking them to support the campaign.

Maura Gillespie, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the British Heart Foundation said: "The polls show that the public wants a 9pm watershed for junk food adverts.  Our postcard campaign has given thousands of individuals the chance to make their voice heard in this debate."

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For further information please contact Richard Watts on 0203 5596 777, 07710 782719 or Richard@sustainweb.org 

 

Note to Editors:

1. The Children's Food Campaign wants to improve children's health and well-being through better food - and food teaching - in schools, and protecting children from junk food marketing.  We are supported by over 300 organisations and 12,000 members of the public.  We were behind the ground-breaking Children's Food Bill introduced into Parliament last year. The Children's Food Campaign is coordinated by Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

2. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is leading the battle against heart and circulatory disease - the UK's biggest killer. The Charity is a major funder and authority in cardiovascular research. It plays an important role in funding education, both of the public and of health professionals, and in providing life-saving cardiac equipment and support for rehabilitation and care.  For more information on the BHF, visit: www.bhf.org.uk.

3. A 9pm watershed restriction on high fat, sugar and salt foods would reduce children's exposure to this type of advertising by 82%. Such a measure is supported by a broad coalition of health, children's and consumer groups as well as by Ofcom's own advisory committee for England, the Office of the Children's Commissioner, and the Food Standards Agency.  A British Heart Foundation / TNS poll last year found that 69% of parents supported a 9pm watershed.

4. Research by Which? has shown just how ineffective Ofcom's proposals are.  Ofcom's proposals will not affect advertising during the 26 commercial TV programmes most watched by children or in any of the time periods when most children are watching.

5. The full list of signatories for EDM 404 is here:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=32033&SESSION=885 

6. Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said on 25 October 2006 on GMTV, when talking about the childhood obesity crisis: "we have got to do something about television advertising before the watershed hour".