To ask the Scottish Executive whether the allegations made against the Coca-Cola company by Mark Thomas in his book, Belching Out the Devil, Global Adventures with Coca-Cola , will cause it to examine legal mechanisms whereby public bodies within its responsibility, such as NHS bodies, could prevent the sale of such products on their premises.

Our public sector settings are becoming exemplars in creating environments which promote positive mental and physical health wellbeing.

Regulations covering soft drinks in the public sector are covered in schools by The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007. This requires local authorities to ensure that food and drink provided in schools comply with the nutritional requirements specified by Scottish ministers in regulations. Under these regulations (The Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008) schools are not permitted to sell soft drinks. These regulations came into force in primary schools in August 2008 and will commence in secondary schools in August 2009.

With regard to NHS bodies we issued, in March 2008, Guidance on the Health Promoting Health Service issued to all NHS boards. This set out a number of actions which include a requirement to remove unhealthy soft drinks from hospital-managed restaurants and vending machines by 2011.