Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/408403
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2014 News 7 TIM DIACONO SHOPS and stalls located near pri- mary and secondary schools could be forbidden from selling unhealthy food items to children, under a pro- posed law that wants a health advi- sory council to set a distance within which junk food cannot be sold near schools. The private member's bill present- ed in Parliament in June by PN MP Robert Cutajar, shadow minister for youth and sport, proposes the setting up of an advisory council on healthy lifestyles to propose food items that shops near schools would be forbid- den to sell to children, and the range that would legally qualify as being 'next to a school', and the time pe- riods, before and after school hours, during which these shops would be forbidden to sell these foods. After coming up with these details, the council would then send them to the Home Affairs Minister for ap- proval. The law would come down with an iron fist on stalls that sell junk food to children right outside their school. "Malta's obesity rate is amongst the worst in Europe and it is con- stantly increasing," Cutajar said. "We are currently spending around €19 million to tackle obesity-related health problems. The time has come to create a law that will deal with this problem." The law would also draw up a list of food items that may be sold and consumed on food premises, ban the sale of all drinks save water and freshly-prepared fruit juices from school vending machines, and render all sports-related activities such as Sports Days obligatory to all students. As proposed, the health advisory council would be chaired by a rep- resentative of the Prime Minister's permanent secretary and include government representatives, a rep- resentative of the Police Commis- sioner, a pediatrician, a gerontolo- gist, an education officer specializing in physical education, and a nutri- tionist. Local councils would also be obliged to dedicate a portion of their annual budget to promoting physical activity, and all public and private day care centres for adults and the elderly would have to include les- sons in physical activity and healthy nutrition among their activities. All old people's homes would have to cater for the physical activity and healthy diet of all their residents, according to their individual health conditions. Anyone found guilty of breaking these rules would be sub- ject to a fine of between €500 and €2,500. However, Cutajar allayed fears that the law would include a 'fat tax' on fatty food items, such as was imple- mented in Denmark a few years ago. 74% of Maltese men and 58% of Maltese women are either over- weight or obese, according to a study published in the Lancet medical journal last year. MIRIAM DALLI HOME Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia and Acting Police Commis- sioner Ray Zammit have both denied that new conditions of service for top police posts will place higher officials in the force "under the effective con- trol of the executive". The Malta Police Association (MPA) yesterday voiced its objection to a new agreement signed between the Office of the Prime Minister and the Home Affairs Ministry regulating the appointments of the Commis- sioner of Police, the Deputy Com- missioner and the Assistant Com- missioner. The new document states that these appointments "are to be made on a performance agreement at par with headship positions […] Hence, it is clarified that these appointments will no longer be considered as grades." The MPA argued that whoever is set to occupy the top posts in the po- lice force will be "under the effective control of the executive, because it will be at the executive's discretion to determine the how long the top officials will retain their posts". But the home affairs ministry has denied that this will lead to interfer- ence by the executive. "The Police Force is an autono- mous body and it will remain so. On the other hand, it is important to keep assessing the performance of these top officials. What is wrong in ensuring that the people in these grades meet the standards through- out their career, and that the enthu- siasm and promising performance shown in the run-up to their promo- tion, is retained?" Mallia added that the ministry is set to meet the police association to discuss their concerns. He insisted that talks were held with the Police Force's top echelons but no contracts have yet been signed. On his part, Acting Commissioner Zammit also denied accusations by the MPA that the agreement had been signed behind their backs. "This is about the top ranks and it shouldn't scare anyone. It only in- creases the level of responsibility in the work carried out. This is some- thing new and discussions are ongo- ing," he said. According to the MPA, the new regulations were putting the Police Force at par with other civil entities, "a comparison that should not be made". It is of utmost importance that the highest officials in the force are not conditioned by the fear of being fired from their roles if they take a deci- sion which does not suit the Execu- tive," the MPA said. "[The government] is undermin- ing the independence, integrity and autonomy of the Police Force by weakening the Police Force and un- dermining the people's trust. This agreement is bringing about an un- precedented change within the Po- lice Force." The MPA has officially requested an urgent meeting of the Police Ne- gotiation Board, according to the Po- lice Act, to consider the matter. Police association says new performance contracts will undermine autonomy THE National Commission for the Promotion of Equal- ity has issued a call for ten- ders for a research study into female genital mutilation in Malta in a bid to provide pol- icy makers with information about FGM to help them when drafting FGM-related policies. The NCPE also intends to raise awareness about FGM practices in Malta. FGM involves the partial or total removal of the external female geni- tal organs for non-medical reasons, usually with a knife or razor blade and without anaesthesia. It is typi- cally performed on girls before they reach puberty. Apart from severe pain, FGM risks include infection, open sores, infer- tility, and urine retention. The United Nations condemns FGM as an extreme violation of human rights that reflects gender inequality. However, it remains a common cultural practice in several African and a few Middle Eastern countries. Somalia in particular has the highest prevalence rate of FGM in the world, according to a 2013 United Nations survey where 98% of Somali women said that they had un- dergone the process. The majority of people living in Malta's open centres are Somalis. In September 2013, health par- liamentary secretary Chris Fearne presented a private member's bill to criminalise FGM in Malta and on Maltese residents abroad. The bill would provide up to seven years' im- prisonment for people who commit the act, and 20 years in the case of death. Also, people who wilfully fail to make a formal complaint on the act will be liable to a fine. Equality Commission looking into FGM practices in Malta Junk food law could spell trouble for shops outside schools