MSPs to study sweets law after pupils reveal sour effect

Published on Tuesday 17 November 2009 21:24

MSPs have agreed a law banning school shops from selling sweets needs to be reviewed after pupils told them it had forced them to close their fair trade 'tuck shop'.

The pupils from Dyce Academy in Aberdeen said that their tuck shop was only allowed to sell fruit because Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) Act 2007 forbade sweets and chocolate being sold on school premises.

But sweet-toothed pupils at the school still got their fill of sweets by diverting their trade to an Asda supermarket, "two seconds walk away".

Third-year pupils Laura Stebbings and Julia Standing, both 14, and 17-year-old Erin Young, in sixth year, told Holyrood's petitions committee that healthy lifestyles cannot be "forced" on youngsters.

The committee is to write to the Scottish Government to see if the Act can be amended to allow Fair Trade stalls.