The legislation was confirmed by minister for health Ashley Dalton in a written statement on 10 September.

Samantha Field, public health consultant in the Healthy Lives Team at The Health Foundation said: ‘We welcome today's confirmation of tougher restrictions on advertising unhealthy food and drink to children on TV and online. These restrictions are a much needed and long-awaited step in protecting children from harm.

'However, with over a third of 10–11-year-olds in England overweight or obese, more ambitious measures are needed. This announcement must be the first step in a bolder and sustained programme of measures that help children maintain a healthy weight.

‘These population-level measures are known to be effective, but the Government has missed the opportunity to go beyond the TV advertising ban. Out-of-home and public transport marketing restrictions, which have proven to be effective in tackling obesity, need to be in their sights.

‘Children's diets are ultimately shaped by where they live and grow, with huge inequality in obesity rates in children in different areas. The Government's health mission was an opportunity to improve the social and economic conditions that are crucial to tackling childhood obesity, such as good work and incomes, education, transport and green space, but it has gone missing in action.'