A Fitter Future for All: Consultation Document

The prevalence of people who are overweight and obese has been steadily rising in Northern Ireland, and in the western world, over the last few decades. It has been described as an “obesity time-bomb”, given the impact that obesity can have on physical and mental health and wellbeing.Evidence has shown that, while weight gain is the result of a relatively simple energy imbalance, the causes that underpin changes to energy intake and expenditure are very complex and cover issues such as social and individual psychology, physiology, food production and consumption, individual activity, and the built environment.This Framework aims to “empower the population of Northern Ireland to make healthy choices, and reduce the level of harm related to overweight and obesity, by creating an environment that supports and promotes a physically active lifestyle and a healthy diet”.In addition, the following overarching target has been set: to reduce the level of obesity in Northern Ireland to the 2005-06 level by 2021.

Arts In Education Charter

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will introduce a Public Service Education Dividend (PSED). This will place new obligations on the Arts Council, on arts organisations and on individual artists in receipt of public funds. The Arts Council will ensure that arts organisations which it supports from the public purse include arts – in - education as part of their programme of work. All publicly funded arts organisations will be obliged to donate time per annum to a local education initiative. Individual artists funded from the public purse, including those in receipt of the artists' tax exemption, shall donate at least 2 hours each per annum to a local education initiative.