In its response to the government consultation on the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, the organisation has also called for funds raised to go towards practical cooking skills programmes for children across the country.
In a blog post, the CFT said: “In our submission to the government’s consultation on how the so-called ‘sugar tax’ should be implemented, we’ve highlighted that there’s already a successful government policy which can help the Treasury form the detail.
“After the introduction of national school food standards, which include legislation for healthier drinks in schools, the proportion of secondary schools offering squash and flavoured water fell by more than half, and almost all schools have taken sugary soft drinks out of their offer. More schools offer plain water as a drink right across the school day, more primary school pupils are choosing water to drink with their school lunch and more pupils opt for healthy milk or milk-based drinks.
"We’ve also stressed that size matters when it comes to sugary drinks for children: the sugar tax is an opportunity to make smaller portion sizes of sweeter drinks the norm, rather than the marginal offer they are now.
"We’ve also asked the Treasury to consider how the revenue raised by the levy is spent. Government’s already set out plans to support school sport and breakfast clubs, but we think there could be an even more holistic approach. We’d like to see some of the revenue supporting practical cooking skills programmes for children across the country.
“Independent research shows that when children learn to cook, they use their skills again at home and eat more healthily as a result. By giving children the skills to enable them to eat well for life as well as opportunities to fall in love with sport from an early age, this levy can play an important role in creating the healthier adults of the future.”
To read the CFT’s full response, click here.