Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 18/02/25.
News: Obesity crisis spirals as junk food giants profit from Britain’s health disaster – Gloucester Live in Yahoo News
16 February 2025, Lewis Clarke. The UK is facing a public health emergency as obesity rates continue to rise at alarming levels, MPs warned in a Westminster Hall debate. With two-thirds of adults overweight and childhood obesity reaching epidemic proportions, parliamentarians across the political spectrum called for urgent, radical interventions to tackle the crisis:
Link: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/obesity-crisis-spirals-junk-food-060000537.html
Research briefing: Implementation of the Online Safety Act – House of Commons Library
14 February 2025. There will be a Westminster Hall debate on the implementation of the Online Safety Act on 26 February 2025. The debate will be opened by Sir Jeremy Wright MP:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0043/
Press release: Infant formula: CMA outlines clear path forward to help parents save hundreds of pounds a year – Competition and Markets Authority
14 February 2025. The CMA has set out comprehensive proposals to deliver better outcomes for parents in the infant formula market – both in terms of the choices they make and the prices they pay:
Official Statistics: Oral health survey of 5 year old schoolchildren 2024 – Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
11 February 2025. Results of the National Dental Epidemiology Programme (NDEP) survey, which took place in the school year ending 2024:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/oral-health-survey-of-5-year-old-schoolchildren-2024
Article: Cash-strapped schools plan to lay off teachers in blow to Labour’s promise – The Observer in the Guardian Online
9 February 2025, Anna Fazackerley. Despite government pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers, headteachers are under renewed pressure to avoid going into deficit:
Research briefing: E-petition relating to a minimum age for social media – House of Commons library
7 February 2025. There will be a debate on e-petition 700086 relating to a minimum age for social media on 24 February 2025 in Westminster Hall, led by Tony Vaughan MP:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0036/
Article: Primary School Teacher Applicants Fall Again – Politics Home
4 February 2025, Matilda Martin. The number of people applying to train as a primary school teacher in England has fallen by almost 10 per cent year-on-year, Politics Home analysis shows:
Link: https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/primary-school-teacher-trainee-applications-fall
News: Princess of Wales launches new framework to boost social and emotional skills from early childhood onwards – Nursery World
4 February 2025, Katy Morton. The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood has published a new framework aimed at improving awareness and knowledge of social and emotional skills, with the aim of creating a ‘happier, healthier society’: