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Press Release from Nirj Deva DL MEP |
16th
February 2007 |
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With one
child in seven classed as obese, Labour think selling school
playing-fields in South East England is a good idea |
Blair promised to end such sales, yet 2,500 playing-fields
have disappeared in 10 years
South East England Labour MEP Peter Skinner has voted against
deploring the practice of Governments selling school playing fields
for development against a backdrop of growing concern over obesity
in the UK.
Labour MEPs unanimously voted against condemning such sales in an
amendment to a report on promoting healthy diets and physical
exercise. The amendment, supported by South East MEP Nirj Deva was
nonetheless passed with a large majority.
Obesity has been described by the World Health Organisation as the
“greatest health threat facing the West”.
The Labour vote, flying in the face of such a stark warning, follows
last month's heavy criticism of the Government for doing too little
to address the obesity issue. The problem costs the nation £3.5
billion a year, and that figure is set to rise to £4.5 billion if
trends continue.
South East MEP Nirj Deva who supported the amendment said:
"Child obesity is not just a matter of eating too much: it is also a
matter of exercising too little.
“Although Labour's 1997 manifesto promised an end to the sale of
school playing-fields, 2,540 have since been concreted over.
Governments and others should promote competitive sports and stop
selling off school playing-fields."
EU Commissioner for health, Markos Kyprianou highlighted the
report's positive reference to sports in schools, saying: "This is a
very important factor. It is embarrassing for me to say that in the
European Union there is not enough physical activity in schools
among children and teenagers."
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