DESPITE calls in the media recently for the introduction of a sugar tax, it needs to be highlighted that sugar consumption has actually been falling in the UK for years.

The data, published by the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), shows that consumption of sugar in the UK has fallen by about 16 per cent since 1992, and by about 20 per cent since the 1970s.

This official government data makes a complete mockery of the argument for a sugar tax. Government decisions about taxation and public health need to be based on reliable data such as this.

Brook Whelan Chief Executive People against Sugar Tax