To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) what assessment he has made of the contribution that can be made to public health by reducing the amount of extrinsic sugars in foods and beverages; and if he will make a statement;

(2) when he expects the Food Standards Agency to consult the public on the next steps in the Saturated Fat and Energy Intake Programme; and whether that consultation will include options for reducing the amount of extrinsic sugar in food and beverages.

The Food Standards Agency has lead responsibility for taking forward the work with industry to reduce consumption of, and levels of, sugar in food, including drinks with added sugar.

This work supports the cross-Government obesity strategy—Healthy Weight Healthy Lives—which encourages industry to reduce the level of sugar in foods to help consumers balance the calories they consume with their needs.

The agency will be publishing its consultation on voluntary recommendations for action by the food industry to reduce levels of saturated fat, added sugar and portion size for key foods and drink within the next couple of months. These recommendations include sugar reductions for soft drinks, which have been part of discussions with the soft drinks industry. A Cabinet Office report on food, published in January 2008, estimated that a reduction in calories from added sugar to within public health recommendations could potentially avert 3,500 deaths per year.