Healthy Eating in Schools (Wales) Measure 2009
The Healthy Eating in Schools (Wales) Measure 2009 (the Measure) provides a holistic and comprehensive policy on nutrition which ensures that healthy eating is promoted and supported for all registered pupils of schools maintained by local education authorities in Wales. The Measure:
- imposes a duty on maintained schools and local education authorities to promote healthy eating and drinking;
- provides the Welsh Ministers with powers to make regulations setting out in detail the content of food served in schools, including powers to specify maximum levels of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar in food provided for pupils;
- imposes a duty on local authorities to ensure that a supply of water is available free of charge; and
- requires local authorities to promote the availability and consumption of school meals and milk in general, and free school lunches and milk in particular.
The Explanatory Notes to the Measure provide detailed commentary on the various provisions.
Coming into force
Section 12 of the Measure came into force on 15 October 2009, which is the day the Measure received Royal Approval, in accordance with section 12(2).
The remaining provisions come into force on a day appointed by the Welsh Ministers by order, in accordance with section 12(3). The following Order has been made:
The Healthy Eating in Schools (Wales) Measure 2009 (Commencement) Order 2013
Subordinate legislation made under the Measure:
| Title | Citation number | Made date | Coming into force date | Supporting documents |
| The Products Containing Meat etc. (Wales) Regulations 2014 | 2014 No. 3087 (W. 308) | 18 November 2014 | 13 December 2014 | Explanatory Memorandum |
| The Food Information (Wales) Regulations 2014 | 2014 No. 2303 (W. 227) | 28 August 2014 | See regulation 1(3) to (6) | Explanatory Memorandum |
| The Fruit Juice and Fruit Nectars (Wales) Regulations 2013 | 2013 No. 2750 (W. 267) | 25 October 2013 | 20 November 2013 | Explanatory Memorandum |
| The Healthy Eating in Schools (Nutritional Standards and Requirements) (Wales) Regulations 2013 | 2013 No. 1984 (W. 194) | 8 August 2013 | 2 September 2013 | Explanatory Memorandum |
Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd
The Measure was introduced on 14 March 2008 by Jenny Randerson AM. The National Assembly for Wales’s Standing Orders (at the time) provided for Assembly Measures to be introduced by backbench Assembly Members where the National Assembly had legislative competence in a policy area. Jenny Randerson AM was a backbench Assembly Member at the time she introduced the Measure.
The Measure was passed by Senedd Cymru (known then as the National Assembly for Wales) on 8 July 2009.
More information about the Measure is available on the Senedd website including a record of the passage of the Measure through the Senedd and the Explanatory Memorandum which was prepared by the Welsh Government (as amended after Stage 2).
The Measure received Royal Approval on 15 October 2009.
Related articles or material
- Welsh Government's statutory guidance for local authorities and governing bodies, June 2014 (GOV.WALES)
- The impact of food and drink in schools on pupil outcomes (senedd.wales)