Biography
Baroness Jenkin has primarily engaged through debate speeches on children's health and wellbeing, with particular focus on obesity, mental health impacts of screen time, and school food quality. She has drawn on her experience chairing a Centre for Social Justice report on childhood obesity and serving on the Food, Diet and Obesity Committee to advocate for implementation of recommendations around school meals and dietary standards. Her contributions reflect sustained concern about preventable health harms to children, framed around evidence from health professionals and academic research.
Generated from their own Hansard record, below
“…When girls complete their education, child marriage declines, maternal and infant mortality falls, household incomes rise and communities become more resilient. When women participate fully in economic and political life, societies are more stable, prosperous and secure.”
Record by topic
- Public health & prevention172nd of 68810.5
- Mental health603rd of 8804.0
- Children's health50th of 1574.0
- Palliative & end of life care452nd of 5682.0
- Learning disability & autism756th of 8992.0
- Diabetes154th of 1902.0
- Assisted dying277th of 3712.0
What they’ve said
“My Lords, in normal times—does anyone remember those?—I would probably have focused my remarks on the gracious Speech on a number of other issues I care about: women’s health, women’s rights, violence against women and girls, pornography, childhood harms, including social media and smartphones, obesity—all topics I am…”
King’s Speech · 2026-05-18 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…ocial media usage is not a future concern but a pressing crisis that is contributing significantly to a growing mental health crisis among our children. Health professionals, educators, parents and concerned community members all echo similar warnings.”
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · 2025-06-23 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…We have an obesity crisis—especially childhood obesity—in the UK. One in five children is already overweight or obese when they start primary school. That rises to one in four among the most deprived 20% of the population, who are most likely to be receiving free school meals.”
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · 2025-06-19 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…Indeed, I chaired a Centre for Social Justice report on childhood obesity in 2017, which called for urgent government action, and since then there have been numerous other reports, including the Government-commissioned National Food Strategy, led so ably by Henry Dimbleby; and yet there was almost no action as the situ…”
Food, Diet and Obesity Committee Report · 2025-03-28 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…Five years ago, the noble Baroness was anticipating retirement, after an immensely distinguished career as a paediatrician, specialising in autism, and having served as president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. She was looking forward to learning the saxophone.”
Schools: Mobile Phones · 2024-11-28 · Read on Hansard ↗
Contributions reproduced under the Open Parliament Licence.