Cabinet Response to Food Justice Select Committee Recommendations

No	Recommendation	Cabinet Response
1	To request that the advertising of fast food within the city centre is restricted to encourage children and young people to make healthier food choices.	Agreed: As part of the Healthy Weight Declaration we made a commitment to carry out a survey of food marketing in the city, we are currently working with Food Plymouth to design a survey. The results of the survey will help us to more fully understand the actions we could take as a city to protect children from aggressive marketing practices.
2	Following evidence given to encourage convenient stores and supermarkets within the city to promote healthier foods, such as fresh fruit near the tills and to encourage less plastic packaging to support Plymouth City Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan.	Agreed: This has previously been raised within the recommendations in the Healthy Weight Declaration. Livewell Southwest have in the past worked with convenience stores in the city to provide fruit and vegetables in more prominent positions within shops and they have also worked in the past with a behavioural research company called ‘Nudge Up’ to design an intervention which would encourage more purchasing of healthier foods. We know there are a complex range of factors which impact on the purchasing and consumption of fruit and vegetables and it is wider than their positioning within retail premises. Public Health have been taking a systems approach to obesity which would encompass work similar to the above and would include behavioural nudging and marketing of food. Resources could be prioritised to complete a larger project to support this recommendation if Council felt that was correct.
3	To encourage school kitchens and catering companies to provide facilities to those families living in temporary accommodation to enable them to have access to a kitchen to cook and provide a hot meal for their family following evidence given that families were living in temporary accommodation with only a kettle.	Not Agreed: Public Health are aware that CaterEd do carry out interventions around cooking skills with vulnerable families. There are complicating factors with allowing the public to use commercial kitchens which would undermine this recommendation; the ability of families to know how to use the commercial equipment within them, also the impact on the commercial premises compliance with food safety legislation could be compromised.
4	To explore a programme similar to the pots and pan amnesty to provide families living in food insecurity with basic cooking utensils.	Agreed: Working with Plymouth Community Homes and Food Plymouth public health would be able to facilitate a pots and pans amnesty.
5	Health and Wellbeing Hubs to provide information and signposting to the various organisations across the city that can help and support people living in food poverty, such as the Cash Smart Courses and nearest food bank.	Agreed: Public Health will ensure health and wellbeing hubs are able to provide this information as recommended.
6	To identify any surplus/redundant green spaces within the city to be used for community growing.	Agreed: Community Use of Council Assets Report to Cabinet in March
7	To include in the Plan for Trees the planting of fruit and nut trees within community spaces to encourage responsible and sustainable foraging.	Agreed: