Action to support a healthy society

It's fair to say that tackling obesity is one of the most significant public and personal health challenges facing our society. The problem is simple - as a nation we eat too much and we do too little exercise.

In England alone, nearly a quarter of men and women are now obese, with concerning trends among children signalling a need for a strong and long-term strategy.

So I was pleased to get details of a new £372 million plan aimed at tackling obesity and helping everyone to lead healthier lives.

The five key elements are:

• the healthy growth and development of children promoting healthier food choices;
• building physical activity into our lives
• creating incentives for better health;
• offering personalised advice and support from the health service

The solution is complicated. From the nature of the food that we eat, to the ways our towns and cities are designed, through to the way our children lead their lives - it is harder to avoid obesity.  And tackling obesity in the adults of tomorrow requires winning the hearts and minds of young people today.  

We clearly need to give young people the lifelong education they need with more sport and exercise in and out of school.  We need to end the 'no ball games' culture with more play and sports facilities.  We also need to equip children with cooking skills and understanding of diet and stamp out unhealthy and junk food in schools. 

Every parent wants their child to be fit and healthy - I want the Government to help parents make informed decisions about their own children's lives.  If you want more information on this please get in touch.

New funding for a cycling revolution

Cycling is good for your health and fitness and helps tackle congestion on the roads and improve local air quality.

So I'll be calling on Birmingham City Council to bid for a slice of the record £140million funding the Government is investing in cycling.  Authorities across the West Midlands can now apply to become new Cycle Demonstration Towns and receive money to encourage people onto their bikes and offer local children the chance to be trained to cycle safely.

I welcome the Government's massive increase in funding for cycling and, working with Cycle England, the commitment to encouraging more people onto their bikes, even more safe links for children to cycle to school and the creation of cycle parking spaces.

In Hall Green we can help a generation rediscover their bikes and give children the skills they need to cycle safely and responsibly on our roads.

Cooking lessons for all young people

Leaving school able to cook healthy dishes from scratch is an essential everyday skill all young people should have.

This isn't about schools training top chefs - but it is right that children learn the basics they need to go on and start cooking at home with their parents and later on their own. It is at the heart of tackling obesity and will enable future generations to understand food, diet and nutrition; and put together healthy meals for their entire lives.

So it's good news that my Labour colleague Ed Balls has announced that every young person will take part in compulsory cooking lessons while at school.   So every 11 to 14-year-old to have the lessons from 2011 – and it will be compulsory for the first time ever.

Young people will be given hands-on cooking advice and lessons in how to make cheap and healthy meals from fresh ingredients.

The Government will fund the new lessons with an extra £2.5 million a year after they have become compulsory to cover the costs of cooking ingredients for pupils on free school meals.

And all secondary schools will also build, modernise or share good food preparatory areas for young people to cook in every school by 2011.

It must be a thing of the past that young people - especially boys - can leave secondary school never having had a basic cooking lesson.

Ed Balls is also asking people to e-mail in with suggestions for simply healthy recipes which young people could learn. If you think you have one that could be used email getcooking.consultation@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

Community contracts for better services

There isn't a single service or development in Hall Green which hasn't been improved by actively involving local people who are best placed to spot problems and come up with ideas to solve them, whether it’s tackling anti-social behaviour or litter, or providing more services at a time people want them.

So I was very interested in an announcement this week on ‘Community contracts’ - giving people the opportunity to agree deals and written guarantees from their councils.  These were announced this week by Labour's Communities secretary Hazel Blears with 12 areas in the UK which will be piloting the scheme.

Community contracts are voluntary agreements between local people and town halls that allow residents to set minimum standards and put in place checks on quality.

People rightly expect a good standard of service and redress when things go wrong. When trains are delayed they know they are entitled to refunds or compensation.  Improving transparency for other public services on a similar scale will not only improve standards but will also increase confidence in local democracy.

So we now need a new debate on whether in the future quality checks could be extended to forms of redress – ranging from an investigation into why standards have not been delivered to a written response from the council.

Charters or so-called 'community contracts' will help councils, police and health authorities and local people to work together in tackling the issues that matter, improving their local neighbourhoods and improve public satisfaction.

Areas right across the country are coming forward to sign local contracts with their community.

Those who really believe in delivering for the people they serve should also have the confidence to commit to some form of redress if those agreements are broken.