Government delays restrictions on multibuy deals and advertising on TV and online

RULES banning multibuy deals on foods and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) including buy 1 get 1 free (BOGOF), '3 for 2,' and restrictions on free refills for soft drinks; will be delayed for a year.

Restrictions on the placement of less healthy products; a key part of the Government's commitment to reduce obesity, will still come into force, in October 2022, as planned. These will mean less healthy products are no longer promoted in key locations, such as checkouts, store entrances, aisle ends and their online equivalents.

Economies across the world have been affected by higher than expected global energy and goods prices, leading to increased costs across supply chains which are affecting both businesses and consumers.

The delay to restrictions on multibuy deals will allow the Government to review and monitor the impact of the restrictions on the cost of living in light of an unprecedented global economic situation.

The restrictions banning HFSS adverts on TV before 9pm and paid for adverts online will also be paused for a year, meaning they come into force January 2024. This is due to a delay to the Health and Care Bill receiving Royal assent, as well as a growing recognition that the industry needs more time to prepare.

A consultation on TV and paid for adverts online will be launched in the coming weeks.

Public Health Minister Maggie Throup said:- "We're committed to doing everything we can to help people live healthier lives. Pausing restrictions on deals like buy 1 get 1 free will allow us to understand its impact on consumers in light of an unprecedented global economic situation."

Media, Data and Digital Minister Julia Lopez said:- "We are determined to tackle childhood obesity and are working hard to improve young people's health, including by investing £550 million of Government and lottery cash to level up access to sport and physical activity right across the country. We have listened to the concerns which have been raised and will not be bringing in restrictions on junk food advertising until confident that the time is right."

Shoppers will now be able to continue taking advantage of multibuy offers on all foods, including healthier foods which were not included in the original restrictions.

Addressing obesity remains a priority for Government, and will reduce the strain put on the NHS as it works to tackle the covid backlogs.

Last month saw laws on calorie labelling in large restaurants, cafes and takeaways come into force.

The Government will also be launching the Better Health; Rewards scheme in Wolverhampton later this year to test whether financial incentives can support adults to move more and eat better.

The Government will publish a Health Disparities White Paper later this year, aiming to break the link between factors such as people's social or economic circumstances and their prospect for a healthy life. This will mean looking at the biggest preventable killers, including obesity.

The Government has taken action to support families worth over £22 billion in 2022 to 2023 to help with rising costs. National Insurance starting thresholds will rise to £12,570, from July 2022, meaning people across the UK will keep more of what they earn before they start paying tax.

Households liable for Council Tax in Bands A to D, in England, will receive a £150 non-repayable Council Tax Rebate, and Local Authorities are receiving extra discretionary funding to help those who are in need, but not eligible.

A new statutory instrument will be introduced to parliament to confirm that the restriction of volume price promotions will be delayed.

Cost of living - Record vacancies masks jobs disparity reality across the country

THE growing jobs crisis in parts of England could be swiftly solved if more powers were devolved to Councils, according to the Local Government Association, after new research found that 2 jobseekers are chasing every 1 vacancy in a 3rd of the country.

In a new publication Work Local; Unlocking talent to level up; the LGA sets out how more targeted support, coordinated by Councils and combined authorities, is needed to match employers with jobseekers, engage those have left the jobs market, and ensure sufficient skills training is in place to meet necessary demand. Such a move would also help to reduce the growing cost of living crisis and help more people into work.

The LGA is calling on the Government to urgently give the necessary powers to Councils and combined authorities, who are on the ground in their local areas and know their employers and residents, with the clear message that Whitehall cannot fix the problem alone.

In England, 49 national employment and skills-related schemes or services are managed by multiple Whitehall departments and agencies, delivered over different boundaries by various providers. While these are well intended, they are disconnected from 1 another and too short term, with no single organisation responsible for coordinating this locally.

This fragmented, centrally held funding could instead be better used by democratically elected local leaders, working with partners on the ground, to effectively target and level up local areas by joining up provision for learners, unemployed people, career changers and businesses, making this investment greater than the sum of its parts.

Analysis from the Institute for Employment Studies using real time vacancy data from Adzuna and commissioned by the LGA, also shows:-

► In 42% of the country, there are more vacancies than there are unemployed people. This makes it harder for employers to fill job vacancies, holding back employment growth and potentially contributing to rising prices and inflation.

► Coastal areas and post industrial Regions tend to have both low participation and relatively fewer vacancies, potentially struggling to narrow gaps with other areas. By comparison many parts of London and the South East have high participation, but also low vacancies, while parts of the Midlands and North West are experiencing strong growth in vacancies but with relatively low rates of economic activity, reflecting a shortage of skills.

► Only the Southern half of the country, with often less urban areas, is more likely to have higher participation and high vacancies, so is well placed to build on its pre-Covid strengths.

The LGA, which represents Councils across England, says it is crucial we equip people with the right skills to fill vacancies, as well as encourage those who left the jobs market as a result of the Pandemic back into the workforce. Due to the wide variation within Regions and not just between them, the LGA says this proves why locally-led solutions are needed to fix our national employment and skills challenges. It comes ahead of latest official figures to be published today which are expected to show unemployment has continued to fall to levels last seen in the 1970s, in contrast to a record number of vacancies, highlighting how many people have dropped out of the labour market altogether. This is due in part to the impact of Covid19, but also reflects the mismatch between the types of roles available in different areas and those with the necessary skills and qualifications to fill them.

Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the LGA's People and Places Board, said:- "Our economy is changing rapidly and a record number of vacancies alongside large falls in people in the workforce have combined to create the tightest jobs market in our lifetimes. These changes are not being felt equally across the country, with too many people battling for fewer jobs in some areas while in others, employers are crying out for skilled workers to meet demand. The Government's '1 size fits all' national approach to employment and skills is no longer fit for purpose. Levelling up should mean adapting support to local needs, making it more personalised and joined up for people seeking work, while recognising the wide variations not just between different parts of the country, but also within them. No area should be left behind. Councils and combined authorities– who know their communities best; want to be front and centre in ensuring everyone has the chance to learn new skills and find work, in good jobs needed by local businesses, in the places where they live."

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