The first evidence-gathering session of this Inquiry took place on March 28th 2007, with other sessions still to follow (see below), and Dr Alex Richardson of FAB Research was one of the experts invited to give evidence.

The full minutes of this meeting, along with the speakers' presentations - will be published in due course on the FHF website. Meanwhile, Dr Richardson's written statement of evidence (provided to the FHF in advance of the meeting as a basis for questions and discussion) is attached here.]

The Associate Parliamentary Food and Health Forum has decided to hold a short inquiry which will consider the links between diet and behaviour (especially mood, memory, ability to concentrate, impulsivity and aggression), with a special focus on the role of essential fatty acids in the diet. A series of meetings are being held from March to June at which distinguished guest speakers will be talking about different aspects of this complex subject.

A "call for evidence" has been circulated to encourage submissions of evidence, although guest speakers are not restricted to commenting on the issues raised in the call for evidence. The programme of meetings (which is subject to change), including the names of speakers at each meeting, is set out below.

Associate Parliamentary Food and Health Forum inquiry into the links between diet and behaviour

NB all the meetings will take place in Parliament on Wednesday afternoons from 3.15-5.15pm.

14 March - House of Commons Committee Room 21

• Professor John Stein, University of Oxford
• Professor Malcolm Peet , Rotherham Primary Care Trust
• Dr Malcolm Garland, Galway University Hospital and the Clinical Sciences Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway

(now rescheduled to a later date - see FHF website for details)

28 March - House of Lords Committee Room 3a

• Professor Michael Crawford, London Metropolitan University
• Dr Alex Richardson, Oxford University and Director of Food and Behaviour Research.
• Commander Joseph Hibbeln, National Institutes of Health, Washington and adviser to the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), also known as "Children of the 90s".

18 April House of Lords Committee Room G

• Professor Carolyn Summerbell, Teeside University
• Professor David Benton, Swansea University.

25 April House of Lords Committee Room G

• Dr Neil Ward, Surrrey University and Director of the Hyperactive Children's Support Group.
• Lord Ramsbotham, former Chief Inspector of Prisons and Chairman of Natural Justice.
• Mr Bernard Gesch, Oxford University and Director of Natural Justice.

Any non-FHF members wishing to attend any of these sessions as an observer *must* contact the organisers in advance, as places are extremely limited. (See the FHF website for further details)

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