More needs to be done to raise awareness of sun protection policies and guidelines

1 May 2012

Increased awareness of sun protection policies and guidelines for schools in Wales is needed, according to a National Assembly for Wales committee.

An inquiry by the Children and Young People Committee found that the Welsh Government had established guidelines about sun protection for children in schools but that more needed to be done to promote awareness of the guidelines and to encourage development of individual school policies.

The Committee urged the Welsh Government to work with Public Health Wales, the Welsh Local Government Association, schools and third-sector organisations to highlight existing guidelines.

The inquiry came about in response to a petition from the cancer charity Tenovus, which called for the provision of free sunscreen to all children under the age of 11 in Wales.

The Committee welcomed a broader approach to sun safety and skin cancer prevention and decided not to endorse the petition’s call for free sunscreen.

“What the Committee heard during this inquiry is that protecting people from the effects of sun radiation is more to do with education and the provision of information,” said Christine Chapman AM, Chair of the Children and Young People Committee.

“We welcome the work organisations like Tenovus are doing to raise awareness of and reduce instances of skin cancer and feel that a more co-ordinated approach by the Welsh Government and relevant agencies and organisations in Wales will do much to help combat the problem.

“We believe the policies and guidelines such as those detailed in SunSmart are adequate but need better promotion and monitoring to ensure they are widely known and consistently applied.”

The Committee makes six recommendations in its report, which will be sent to the Welsh Government for consideration.

Children and Young People Committee

More information on the sun protection inquiry