New Welsh Government regulations on junk food have been described as “nanny-state rules” by former Welsh Conservative Leader Andrew RT Davies, as he warned Ministers against “treating the public like children”.
The new rules would see a ban on supermarkets displaying unhealthy snacks near tills and on website homepages from next year. Junk food will also have to be removed from shop entrances and at the end of aisles, and free refills of sugary drinks and BOGOF deals for less healthy foods will be forced to end.
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles has said the Welsh Government needs to “take action to help people make positive changes to their diets and lifestyles”, but Davies has said Ministers should provide nutritional information instead to allow people to make their own choices.
Davies also pointed to the Welsh Government’s minimum unit pricing on alcohol as a previous example of a similar lifestyle intervention, describing it as a “disaster”.
In January, a report said minimum unit pricing had driven problem drinkers to stronger alcohol and had led to some problem drinkers going without food or heating, begging, turning to sex work or stealing to pay for drink.
Andrew RT Davies MS, Senedd Member for South Wales Central and former Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said:
“These new nanny-state rules will be unwelcome in Wales.
“The Welsh Government’s intervention on minimum unit pricing has been a disaster, but Ministers have not learned from that mistake.
“Instead of treating the public like children and hiking up prices, the Welsh Government should provide nutritional information and allow people to make their own adult choices about what they eat.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Unhealthy meal deals face Wales ban next year
- Problem drinkers turn from cider to vodka
- Attached: Photograph of Andrew RT Davies MS, Senedd Member for South Wales Central