Newly appointed Health Secretary Victoria Atkins will stay out of major policy decisions due to her husband’s leadership role at one of Britain’s biggest sugar and medicinal cannabis companies.
I understands Ms Atkins will leave policy on obesity and medical cannabis to junior ministers to avoid conflicts of interest with her husband Paul Kenward, chief executive of ABF Sugar.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed Ms Atkins “will recuse herself from departmental matters relating to external interests”.
ABF Sugar is one of the UK’s largest sugar producers and also owns the country’s largest legal cannabis farm in Norfolk.
Maria Caulfield, minister for mental health and women’s health strategy, is likely to take on the role on obesity given her previous experience of government policy in this area. I understands.
Andrea Leadsom or Andrew Stevenson, who joined the DHSC following Monday’s reshuffle, are likely to take the lead on decisions regarding medicinal cannabis licensing, production and NHS rules, as other ministers already have comprehensive recommendations.
ABF Sugar owns British Sugar, which makes Silver Spoon, and is a subsidiary of FTSE 100 group Associated British Foods (ABF) and has regularly lobbied the government against sugar taxes to help Britain tackle its growing obesity crisis.
Before the government levy on soft drinks with added sugar was introduced in 2018, Mr Kenward, whose company produces around two-thirds of the UK’s sugar quota, argued tackling obesity was a “bigger problem” than cutting consumption Sahara.
Professor Graham McGregor, chairman of Action on Sugar and professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, said: “There is clearly a potential conflict with the new health secretary. There are some concerns about her appointment, to say the least.
“Until now, the government has not played a major role in preventative medicine, and it is clear that preventing obesity by reducing sugar in our diet is much more effective in the long term than simply treating diseases as they arise.” Therefore, keep a close eye on the position of the new Foreign Secretary.”
Asked about potential conflicts of interest facing Ms Atkins, DHSC said: “As in previous ministerial roles, the Secretary of State will recuse himself from departmental matters relating to external interests, all of which are brought to the attention of the House. Representatives and the House of Representatives “in accordance with ministerial law.”
In her previous role as drugs minister at the Home Office in 2018, Ms Atkins voluntarily gave up any cannabis policies or decisions, including medical licensing, due to her husband’s role.
A spokesman for the Medcan Family Foundation, which advocates for greater access to medicinal cannabis products to help children with complex neurological conditions such as epilepsy, raised concerns following Ms Atkins’ appointment as health minister.
“The issue of access to medical cannabis is a critical issue for families struggling with this chronic neurological disease, and we now have a Secretary of State who cannot address this issue directly.”
“The epilepsy community would like urgent reassurance from the Government that efforts to tackle this problem will not be disrupted by her appointment.”
At the 2017 Conservative Party conference, British Sugar donated four nights’ hotel accommodation in kind to Ms Atkins, the then home secretary, according to her submission to Parliament’s list of interests. She and her husband lived in a hotel room costing £1,120.
Mr Kenward’s company, which has an annual production capacity of 4.5 million tonnes of sugar from 20 factories in nine countries, also successfully lobbied the British government to use bee-killing pesticides on its sugar beet farms.
ABF Sugar, which had sales of £19.75bn in 2022, declined to comment on whether Mr Kenward would continue to lobby the government in his role as the company’s chief executive.
He also declined to comment on whether the company had discussed possible contracts with the government.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.