Prime minister Liz Truss’s anticipated plan to scrap sugar tax is expected to run into legal and parliamentary procedural obstacles, stated a report today (19), claiming that it is unclear what mechanism can be used to repeal the sugar tax.
According to a report in The Guardian, Whitehall sources say there is “a question mark” over how the prime minister can overcome a number of legal and parliamentary procedural obstacles to abandoning the soft drinks industry levy.
It is unclear what mechanism Truss could use to repeal the sugar tax, which was introduced in 2018 as a result of its inclusion in the Finance Act 2017.
Truss is known to be “ardent critic” of state intervention to promote healthier lifestyles, stated the report. She and has previously said that “taxes on treats hit those on the lowest incomes” and that the government should not tell people what to eat.
Sugar tax reportedly raises £300 million a year for the Treasury and has led to a cut of up to 30 percent in the sugar content of many soft drinks, which have been linked to tooth decay, obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The amount generated has been paid for breakfast programmes, sport and equipment to promote physical activity in schools, especially in poor areas.
Report came after it emerged that the government was undertaking an unpublicised review of obesity strategy in England that was expected to lead to restrictions on HFSS products such as bans on junk food adverts on TV before 9pm as well as on “buy one get one free” offers.
Last week's reports of Truss planning to scrap the country's anti-obesity plan have been met with backlash from health experts. Senior officials in the government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), in effect the public health section of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), are appalled, stated the report.
Steph McGovern
Lucy Edwards
