Govt response timid, arrogant, extremely disappointing
The Government’s response to recommendations from Parliament’s Health Select Committee is nothing better than a
two-fingered salute to two years of hard work, Labour’s Health spokesperson Annette King says.
“The committee’s report – which contained 130 recommendations – was positive and forward-thinking. It deserved far more
than the ‘thanks, but we know better’ reception it received.
“Months of work will now make little or no impact on the Government’s future programmes. It is refusing to commit to any
timelines, has half-heartedly accepted to act on some recommendations and refused to act on others.
“An agreement that the Prime Minister would take a formal role in the Children’s Action Plan by monitoring outcomes and
reporting on how government could make improvements was dismissed outright.
“That’s despite the Children’s Commissioner calling for leadership on the issue.
“Just as bad, the recommendations around reducing obesity were not accepted even though they only required
consideration, investigation, monitoring and research.
“The response is not only timid, it is arrogant and a hugely disappointing waste of two years’ hard work.”
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