ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to the publication of a new report from a House of Lords Committee, highlighting the important role of the convenience sector in providing healthy options for local people and encouraging Government to make it easier for stores to be involved with programmes like Healthy Start and free school meal vouchers.
The report raises concerns about the effectiveness of programmes aimed at getting people to eat more healthy food, noting that ‘the value and implementation of two government food programmes designed to address food related inequalities—Healthy Start vouchers and the free school meals programme (FSM)—are inadequate’.
The report recommends that the value of Healthy Start vouchers should be immediately uprated to enable participants to buy the same amount of food that could be purchased in 2009 when the scheme began, and that the Government should consider how changes to the eligibility criteria on free school meals will impact those who will become ineligible.
ACS gave evidence to an EFRA Committee on Covid-19 and food supply in May, outlining members’ disappointment at the free school meals voucher scheme only being initially available to large supermarkets.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Local shops are incredibly important in providing healthy options for their communities, with many significantly increasing their range of fresh produce and fruit and veg throughout the lockdown in response to demand from local people. We are keen to see Government initiatives like Healthy Start and free school meal vouchers available in as many local shops as possible, and continue to work with the Government on ways to get more retailers involved.”
The Healthy Start programme is a scheme which provides vitamins and vouchers to some parents of young children to help buy healthy foods. The vouchers can be exchanged for milk, fruit or vegetables, and (depending on the age of the child) are worth either £6.20 or £3.10 per week.
ACS is urging government not to follow the committee’s recommendation to restrict where products can be sited in stores.
Mr Lowman continued: “Restrictions on where products can be sited would not be workable for small stores. Government policy and resource needs to be focused on expanding choice and healthy food availability, not on regulations that would make life harder for shops that are maintaining access to food for their communities.”
ACS has produced a short animation for retailers, making it easier to get involved with the Healthy Start programme, which is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3icr6EeNvec
The full Lords Committee report is available here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5801/ldselect/ldfphe/85/85.pdf
