House of Commons Health Select Committee

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A Select committee is one that is set up by the House of Commons or Lords, usually for a whole Parliament, to look at particular subjects. In the House of Commons the select committees examine the expenditure, administration and policy of each of the main government departments and associated public bodies. Select committees have the power to take evidence and issue reports

In 2003-2004 a Health select committee was established to undertake an inquiry into obesity.

The MPs sitting on the committee at that time were:


The special advisors to the inquiry on obesity were: [1]

Scientific Governor and Trustee of the British Nutrition Foundation. Member of Department of Health Scientific Advisory Panel for Social Marketing in Childhood Obesity Project, 2006-7. Senior Scientific Editor of the recent Chief Medical Officer's first report on physical activity and public health. Served for 12 years on the Association for the Study of Obesity Executive Committee. Served on the Foresight Scientific Advisory Panel for Obesity[2]

Chair of the International Obesity TaskforcePrior to the 1997 General Election in the UK, the Labour Party had proposed that a new structure should be developed for the control of food safety and the title “Food Standards Agency “ was used for this concept. On the 7th March 1997, Tony Blair asked Professor Philip James to propose the structure and function of a Food Standards Agency.[3] His interim proposals were completed on the 30th April 1997 and were presented to the new Prime Minister on the 8th May [4] Professor James was involved in the situation with Dr Arpad Pusztai where it was claimed he "gagged" Dr Pusztai over controversial research into GM.[5]

Tim Lang has been Professor of Food Policy at City University since November 2002. He was Director of the Centre for Food Policy at Thames Valley University from 1994 to 2002, before it moved to City University. He was Director of Parents for Safe Food, 1990-1994 and before that Director of the London Food Commission, 1984 to 1990. He is a regular advisor / consultant to the World Health Organization at global and European levels. He has been a special advisor to four House of Commons Select Committee inquiries (food standards [twice], globalisation and obesity). In 2006-07, he was an advisor to the Foresight Obesity programme, and since 2005 has been a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) ‘Food Supply in the 21st Century’ Working Party and team. In 2005-06, he chaired the Scottish NHS Executive’s Scottish Diet Action Plan Review. In 1999-2005 he was Chair of Sustain, the NGO alliance, of which he was a founder member. He has been a Trustee of Friends of the Earth and was Secretary of the Public Health Alliance, predecessor to the UK Public Health Association.[6]


Supplementary research was provided by:

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmhealth/23/23.pdf House of Commons Health Committee Third Report Session 2003-2004 accessed 4 December 2007
  2. ↑ Ken Fox accessed 10 December 2007
  3. ↑ http://www.foodlaw.rdg.ac.uk/uk/AGENCY1A.HTM#1 Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Reading accessed 10 December 2007
  4. ↑ http://archive.food.gov.uk/maff/archive/food/james/cont.htm accessed 10 December 207
  5. ↑ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199899/cmselect/cmsctech/286/9030806.htm House Of Commons Science and Technology Committee Minutes 8 March 1999 accessed 12 December 2007
  6. ↑ http://www.city.ac.uk/hmfp/foodpolicy/about/timlang.html City University Staff Website accessed ao December 2007
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