Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services
Lynne Neagle MS, Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing
In accordance with the inter-institutional relations agreement, we wish to notify you a meeting of the UK Health Ministers’ Intergovernmental Group was held on 16 June.
As Minister for Health and Social Services and Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing we attended the meeting with the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, UK Government and Robin Swann MLA, Minister for Health, Northern Ireland Executive. Humza Yousaf MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, Scottish Government, was unable to attend.
We discussed health inequities and disparities, with a focus on healthy life expectancy, obesity and tobacco. Each Minister had an opportunity to provide an update about their governments’ plans to improve healthy life expectancy and to narrow the gap in healthy life expectancy between the most and least deprived in society.
We expressed our disappointment about the UK Government’s recent decision to delay the introduction of restrictions on advertising products which are high in fat, salt and sugar.
We also expressed our in-principle support for the recommendations of the Khan review, to make smoking obsolete in England by 2030. Many of the recommendations would apply in Wales, such as the proposals to increase the point-of-sale age limit and the introduction of a levy on the profits of tobacco companies.
The next meeting will be held after the summer recess.