Day 047 - 07 Nov 94 - Page 22
1 to that kind of recommended approach by Health of the
2 Nation?
3 A. I think that in their marketing planning, not
4 necessarily their advertising, they would probably want to
5 consider adding new products or new product combinations
6 which enable consumers to have a wider range of choice; and
7 in their advertising, they would want to show those
8 options.
9
10 I think the quotation you read out talked about
11 opportunities for healthier eating, or words to that
12 effect, and of course it is for every individual to decide
13 which opportunities they want to take, whether they want to
14 eat a certain kind of dish today or tomorrow, or every
15 day. It is the opportunities for that that we are talking
16 about.
17
18 Q. The Nutrition Task Force has proposed, has it not, that the
19 ITC and the ASA and the CAP should be invited to examine
20 their codes of practice in the light of the Health of the
21 Nation dietary targets, with a view to identifying any
22 desirable changes?
23 A. Yes.
24
25 Q. The NTF recommends that particular regard should be paid to
26 advertising to children; is that correct?
27 A. Yes.
28 Q. Just say if you agree with it or not:
29
30 "The NTF recognises that the advertising industry already
31 seeks to conduct its business in a professional and
32 socially responsible manner. It hopes to build on this by
33 encouraging the food and advertising industries to
34 recognise the marketing opportunities contained within the
35 dietary changes proposed in the Health of the Nation
36 initiative and to encourage them to use these opportunities
37 in a positive way."
38 A. Yes. I agree with all of that.
39
40 Q. Are you aware that: "In the light of that, the NTF has
41 entered into discussions with the various advertising
42 authorities, including the ISBA, to see how marketeers and
43 public relations firms could be encouraged to see the
44 dietary changes proposed in the Health of the Nation as a
45 marketing opportunity, rather than a constraint"?
46 A. Yes. I am aware of all that. Indeed, some of those are
47 things we suggested to the Department of the Health
48 ourselves.
49
50 Q. So your view is that advertising, to be responsible, can
51 help in the promotion of -- for example, on this particular
52 subject -- a healthier diet in the British population?
53 A. No. I think that is going too far. I do not think I
54 have said that. Advertising can help to inform and
55 persuade consumers about products, new products, new
56 ingredients, a different balance of things, but advertising
57 itself has only a very limited part to play in changing the
58 health of the nation.
59
60 If you recall, the five key factors in the government's
