fi a public
affairs update
Three conferences, three leaders, three leaders’ speeches – but what did it deliver for our industry? Stephanie Creighton, the FIA’s public affairs and policy officer, reports
PARTY POLITICS T
his year, party conference season was quite unique: the first conference season since the coalition government was
formed and with a leadership election for the Labour party. The FIA was in attendance at all three conferences, representing the UK fitness industry and finding out about the policies being developed which may affect it.
fringe meetings In the spirit of coalition, this year the FIA was part of the Health Hotel, an alliance of health organisations that came together to conduct health fringes and co-ordinate events with health ministers and shadow health ministers. The FIA worked with MEND, the
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiation Committee (PSNC) on a fringe entitled ‘Solving the Public Health Crisis – We’ve Found the Miracle Cure!’ With Britain’s poor health costing us millions, the debate looked at the need
Health Minister Andrew Lansley, and (above) at the Health Hotel meeting
for the health agenda to shift toward public health and prevention. The fringe looked at the role of physical activity in providing a solution, and at how we can effectively commission physical activity and lifestyle improvement to achieve sustainable behaviour change. The Health Hotel was joined at each
conference by a representative from each party with responsibility for health. At the Liberal Democrat conference
we were joined by Department of Health minister Paul Burstow MP, who was supportive of our messages. He emphasised that the public health White Paper, due to be published in December, would outline how the government intends to tackle public health issues such as the prevalence of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and various other lifestyle- related conditions, the risks of which could be lowered through increased rates of physical activity. He also highlighted plans to work in partnership with the private sector to combat these issues with a shared responsibility between commercial brands, government and the Third Sector. At the Labour conference the then
shadow public health minister, Mary Creagh, joined the panel. Creagh affi rmed her belief that a nanny state was the most effective way to deliver results in tackling the UK’s public health problems. She stressed that targeted community health campaigns would be vital in raising public awareness of obesity, highlighting the good work started by the Labour government with the Change4Life programme. Health select committee member
Chris Skidmore MP joined us at the Conservative Party conference. Skidmore talked of the government’s key role in dealing with public health, an election manifesto pledge. Referring to
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the Health White Paper, ‘Liberating the NHS’, which indicates that responsibility for public health will be handed to local authorities, he affi rmed that this was the right thing to do – local authorities, he explained, are best placed to address the public health needs of their communities. Furthermore, Skidmore was supportive of the decision taken to ring-fence the budget for public health, saying that it was a crucial area. Other interesting fringes included
the London 2012 fringe, at which the FIA questioned the panel on how to ensure a health legacy emerged from the Olympic Games. The response at all three conferences varied, with Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State with responsibility for the Olympics, agreeing that the health and sporting legacy was crucial for the success of the Games. He referred to projects that are currently being developed by many government departments, including the Department of Health, and referred to the excellent work being done by the Youth Sports Trust to provide greater sporting opportunities for young people both inside and outside of the school setting.
a blank piece of paper The coalition government is still in its infancy and we eagerly await details on how it will address public health and what its plans are to deliver a lasting health legacy from the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, as Labour begins to find its feet again after election defeat and subsequent leadership election, it has an opportunity to develop its policy position on improving the health of the nation. With the government publishing a White Paper addressing public health in the winter, it’s clear that interesting times lie ahead for our industry.
november/december 2010 © cybertrek 2010
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