HER MAJESTY'S REVENUE AND CUSTOMS AND PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIES

EDM number 1227 in 2008-09, proposed by Austin Mitchell on 31/03/2009.
Categorised under the topic of Obesity.

That this House notes that over 300 self-employed weight loss counsellors working as part of the Lighterlife Programme help an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 individuals on average during any week to address their problems of serious obesity using nutritionally balanced and regulatory-compliant food products formulated to comply with industry best practice in supportive group environments; welcomes the contribution that such projects make to the achievement of public health objectives for reducing obesity and its associated morbidities; further notes that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has decided to levy valued added tax on those counsellors, that the charge is to be backdated, and totals many millions of pounds; observes that this will place major burdens on those counsellors and the organisation, will increase the costs to the obese of the programme moving forward, and will create an anomaly, in that value added tax is levied on specialist food products; and urges Ministers to review regulation, policy and practice to ensure that HMRC's approach does not further undermine Government strategies to improve the health of the nation.

This motion has been signed by a total of 20 MPs.