Professor Cecily Kelleher:

The Chairman's observations are good and very much in the spirit of the discussion. I reiterate the point I made about the power of the public sector to make a difference. The Chairman touched on the issue of planning, which is crucial. We are about to make a significant investment in primary schools because of demographic changes. As part of the process, we have the power to proof the planning for these schools and identify, for instance, what types of catering facilities could be provided. We discussed the difficult issue of children leaving schools to buy items in private supermarkets. We should ask what power the public sector has to make the changes. This will be crucial because it is a step we can take.

If we take the history of public health, if this committee had been meeting 100 years ago, it would have discussed infant mortality, slums and poor housing, all of which were effectively addressed by planning. Subsequently, the 1947 Health Act had a major influence on public health nurses and others. We can do these types of things. We should examine all the options for their effectiveness because they work. While I agree that issues around taxing specific products, labelling and working with industry to improve product availability are all important, there are also many means by which we can change patterns of consumption immediately, including altering the environment in workplaces and health settings. We could and should do these things. We should proof public policy in these types of areas, carry out urban planning accordingly and ensure we think of these kinds of pieces.