A healthier nation, and ‘government by diktat'

<p>What is needed to make England a healthier nation? And why are two committees concerned about government use of secondary legislation? Find out in this month's House of Lords Podcast.</p><p><br></p><h2>What is needed to make England a healthier nation? </h2><p>We hear from Karren Brady and Phil Willis – Baroness Brady and Lord Willis of Knaresborough – this month on the report just issued by their committee.</p><p>The Lords Sport and Recreation Committee has called for a new national plan for sport, health and wellbeing. Matt and Amy find out why this is needed and what more needs to be done.</p><blockquote><em>‘We have some of the greatest sporting leagues in the world… </em></blockquote><blockquote><em>We're producing world-class people at the top end, but in reality, that is a very small pool of people. And whilst they are excelling, the vast majority who are going to our schools, who are going into our youth clubs and our sports clubs, and indeed those who are doing nothing at all, are flatlining. And the result of which is that we are seeing a more obese nation, a less active nation, an unhealthy nation. And the cost on the NHS of all that is absolutely enormous… </em></blockquote><blockquote><em>We're not asking for billions of pounds, we're asking basically for you to reorganize the money that is spent and to focus it where it is best needed at grassroots.’</em> </blockquote><p> Lord Willis </p><p>Baroness Brady also shares her thoughts on her experience on the Sport and Recreation Committee</p><blockquote><em>‘It was also great that everybody on the committee came from a very different perspective and has very different expertise, which is what the Lords is all about. We're invited to come here by using our lifelong experience in our chosen field to look at legislation and hopefully make it better and recommend amendments to the government to change to improve them. So it was great to work with so many talented and incredibly knowledgeable people about their areas and come together with conclusions tha