Where are the govt. plans to prevent illness?

[EuclidianGeometryFan]

Just been reading about what the government will do to get people on sickness/disability benefits back to work.

Better than nothing, but it smacks of pissing in the wind.

Where is the sugar tax? A mars bar should cost £7-8
A litre bottle of fizzy pop should cost £10-15

Where is the internet ban to protect teenage mental health? How about a law to say no person under 18 can own or carry in public any internet-connectable device?

Where is the housing? How about big wealth taxes on property and a massive build-out of socially-rented state-owned housing?

Where is the support for parents of pre-schoolers going out of their minds with worry about debt? How about a 'nursery fees' scheme like the student loan scheme: parents have the right to 8 hours a day of full time care from when the baby is age 9 months, payable back through the PAYE tax system if they earn enough.
Note - right, but not compulsion.

Where are the plastic bans, the forever-chemical bans? Where are the pollution bans? The clean-air acts to prevent any vehicle over 1000cc engine being used in a built up area?

So much could be done, but won't be, because the rich have to be allowed to get richer.

I mean not letting kids have smartphones (I'd say 16 not 18 though) is a good idea in my opinion but making mars bars £8 you lost me with that one 🤣🤣

Honestly I think the increasing percent of unemployed adults is mostly down to retirement age increasing. Once you reach 60 all sorts of shit starts going wrong

But it would not be obligatory - if you can pay for your childcare without a loan, then crack on. It would be an option for those who want it.

Not a subsidy, not 'free hours' that don't exist, just the right to a loan like the student loan.

To clarify, I don't mean the subsidies and 'free hours' should be taken away. They should most definitely not.
But just that the loan scheme would be separate.

The point is - the student loan system as it is, massively disadvantages those who can’t pay their fees outright. It’s effectively a tax because only those earning £120k and above will pay it off (I’m talking the £9k per year fees) which gives those on middle incomes a higher marginal tax rate than high earners. Fine if it’s a loan, but in reality it isn’t because you won’t fully pay it off. It’s one thing doing that for uni fees which are in many cases optional but you can’t exploit low income workers needing childcare in that way. If it was a genuine loan system then I think I could see the advantages but it shouldn’t be modelled on the student loan system at all. I actually think free childcare altogether is better, the gov will make it up in income tax, NI, VAT on products people who are working can afford to buy that they may not otherwise etc etc etc

The sugar tax has meant I actually drink more alcohol! Artificial sweeteners make me very ill. If I meet up with friends at the pub or a club or a concert or the theatre there are rarely soft drink options that are safe for me to drink (and no, I don’t want to drink water when on a ‘fun’ night out) so I drink wine or beer. I can’t even take some medications as they contain artificial sweeteners so when I’m ill, I often have to stay ill for longer!

you are very right about education being needed rather than the nanny state @ohtowinthelottery .

@Nottodaythankyou123
Yes of course free childcare would be better, but it is not going to happen, not in the quantity needed.
At least a loan system would give parents another option than having to scrabble around to pay all the childcare fees up front.

Smaller cars with less powerful engines won't work for everybody.
Some people don't have time to cook from scratch every day, busy lives take over that.
That much for a mars bar? People should be allowed a treat if they want one.
Internet ban? My teens use their phones and laptops for so many things. I also like to track them when they are out for their safety.

Right?!

To be honest I'm with you OP.