Cyflwynwyd yr ymateb hwn i’r ymgynghoriad ar y Bil Bwyd (Cymru) Drafft

This response was submitted to the consultation on the Draft Food (Wales) Bill

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Ymateb gan: | Response from: BMA Cymru Wales (additional information)

Following you detailing your proposals and plans for the Bill to not be prescriptive, but instead to provide a framework for local authorities and areas to work towards, the following information and detail may be of use in addition to our initial submission.

I have also cc’d in the Member Bill clerking team for ease.

1. The role that healthy food can play in protecting the long term health of the population

BMA Cymru Wales has been clear that a healthy population is better protected from long term health conditions and infections. In particular a healthy diet and food environment, and a reduction in climate change, are crucial parts of this.

This was detailed in the BMA Cymru Wales 2021 Senedd Manifesto and in an article from our then Chair of the BMA’s Welsh Committee for Public Health Medicine

Following the experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic over the last two and a half years, a healthy population- supported by a healthy diet and nutritious- is even more crucial to ensuring we have a resilient Wales.

2. Welsh Government acknowledge benefits of fresh and healthy food through Fatigue and Facilities Charter

In March 2020, Welsh Government and BMA Cymru Wales launched the Fatigue and Facilities Charter.

This outlines simple ways to improve facilities and reduce fatigue of frontline healthcare staff so they can safely, effectively and efficiently care for patients.

One of the key sections to this document- which advises Health Boards on the support they should provide staff- is access to healthy and nutritious food.

The Charter sets out, and therefore Welsh Government acknowledge, the benefits of:

- “hot food”

- “sufficiently varied and… freshly prepared meals”

- “healthy eating and vegetarian options”

3. Improve the local environment

BMA Cymru Wales has called for Welsh Government to “establish prevention at the heart of the healthcare system” to take action “on physical inactivity… and the uptake of active travel and sport” and to “create a healthier Wales, with greater opportunities for healthy living.”

The production and supply of local food will reduce the carbon footprint of food compared to those delivered from across the country and/or world, and therefore help improve the environment through a reduction in carbon emissions.

Increasing production of food locally, if done through local scheme, could also help to “create a healthier Wales, with greater opportunities for healthy living” and sit in line with this manifest call of BMA Cymru Wales.

4. Committee scrutiny and Bill title

If you are interested in getting wider recognition of the health impact of the Draft Bill, one way of doing so would be to encourage the Senedd Business Committee to allocate the Bill to the Health and Social Care Committee.

Further detail and focus on the health benefits and proposals for the Bill could help with this.

Equally, amending the Bill title to the Health Food (Wales) Bill, or possibly even the Health and Wellbeing Through Food (Wales) Bill, could also help to reiterate the health and wellbeing focus on the Bill.

5. Non-prescriptive legislation

While some sections of the Draft Bill are similar to those of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, this was also a non-prescriptive piece of legislation which has led to further powers and actions (via a Commissioner).

Similarly, another piece of legislation from Welsh Government- the Education and Curriculum (Wales) Act 2021- is also non-prescriptive as it sets out the framework for teaching in Wales, but does not prescribe what or how this should take place.

Therefore there are other examples of non-prescriptive legislation which Welsh Government have supported and brought forward in the past.

6. Benefits of healthy and nutritious food for young people

As I mentioned, I recently attended an event with Cardiff University at which one of their academics presented findings from a study on how children and young people performed better with nutritious meals.

I am waiting to hear back from Cardiff University about this and will send you over more details when I get them, as this may be of use to you when looking at the benefits of healthy meals and food, in particular for children and young people.

Hopefully these additional points help with your work on the Draft Bill.

Due to our ongoing work at this time, while an article from BMA Cymru Wales at present in support of the principle of the Draft Bill might not be possible, we could look at sharing/highlighting the Bill once it is published if it makes reference to how BMA Cymru Wales policy calls are supportive of/supported by the Bill.