To ask the Minister of Health to detail any cross-departmental work being carried out to improve young people's understanding of nutrition and healthy cooking.

My Department and the Public Health Agency (PHA) work across departments and agencies to improve young people's understanding of nutrition and healthy cooking through nutrition training and education programmes such as ‘Nutrition matters for the early years.’ A range of community-based nutrition education programmes, such as ‘Cook It!’, ‘Food Values’ and ‘Food and Health Essentials’ are commissioned to increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating and develop cooking skills, building both confidence and competence.

My department also works closely with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) which has responsibility for the development, implementation and evaluation of dietary health policy in Northern Ireland. As part of this, the FSA works with other government departments across the UK to promote dietary guidelines through the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide is included in the school curriculum in Northern Ireland and helps children learn how to achieve a healthy balanced diet. The FSA supports this learning through the provision of free resources for schools and community groups.

The Department of Education chairs a cross-departmental ‘Food in Schools’ forum which provides strategic leadership and guidance on the joint Northern Ireland Food in Schools policy, nutritional standards for school meals and supports the inclusion of nutrition in the school curriculum. Officials from my Department, PHA, the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and the FSA, alongside other stakeholders, work together as members of this Forum. My Department, through the PHA, and the Department of Education jointly fund a Food In Schools coordinator to carry out a programme of work to support schools to create a healthy food environment. The PHA works closely with DE through the Food in Schools Forum to implement the ‘Health Food for Healthy Outcomes’ policy.