​Dentists call on Williamson to back Rashford Plan

06 November 2020

The British Dental Association has joined with leading food charities and education unions to call on Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to guarantee the UK’s children have access to decent food over Christmas.

The coalition has urged Williamson to “commit to funding benefits-related free school meals during the Christmas holiday period and through to Easter 2021, including children from households with no recourse to public funds”.

Since the onset of the pandemic the BDA has warned that already unacceptable oral health inequalities will likely deepen as a result of lack of access to nutritious meals, the suspension of public health programmes and on running access challenges.

The Association has long advocated wide-ranging reform to improve the UK’s food environment, including expansion of the Sugar Levy and mandatory targets for sugar reduction.

BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said:

“Lack of access to healthy food has a devastating impact on the general and oral health of our children.

“Dentists believe in prevention. COVID is set to send levels of health inequality through the roof, and this government has a responsibility to set out a coherent response.”