E/C.12/GBR/CO/6
adequate housing, especially with regard to the criminalization of rough sleeping in the
State party (art. 11).
52.
The Committee urges the State party to take immediate measures, including by
allocating appropriate funds to local authorities, to reduce the exceptionally high
levels of homelessness, particularly in England and Northern Ireland, and to ensure
adequate provision of reception facilities, including emergency shelters and hostels, as
well as social rehabilitation centres. The Committee urges the State party to adopt all
necessary measures to avoid the criminalization of rough sleeping in the State party
and to develop appropriate policies and programmes to facilitate the social
reintegration of homeless persons. In this respect, the Committee draws the attention
of the State party to its general comment No. 4 (1991) on the right to adequate
housing.
Right to food
53.
The Committee is concerned about the lack of adequate measures adopted by the
State party to address the increasing levels of food insecurity, malnutrition, including
obesity, and the lack of adequate measures to reduce the reliance on food banks. The
Committee is also concerned about the lack of adequate measures adopted to increase the
rates of breastfeeding (art. 12).
54.
The Committee recommends that the State party develop a comprehensive
national strategy for the protection and promotion of the right to adequate food in
order to address food insecurity in all jurisdictions of the State party and to promote
healthier diets. This should include policies in support of breastfeeding in accordance
with the resolutions of the World Health Assembly, including breastfeeding breaks or
breastfeeding facilities in educational institutions and workplaces. The Committee
also recommends that the State party introduce higher taxes on junk foods and sugary
drinks and consider adopting strict regulations on the marketing of such products,
while ensuring improved access to healthy diets. The Committee refers the State party
to its general comment No. 12 (1999) on the right to adequate food and the Voluntary
Guidelines to support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the
context of national food security adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations as well as to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk
Substitutes.
Access to health
55.
The Committee is concerned that refugees, asylum seekers and refused asylum
seekers, as well as Roma, Gypsies and Travellers, continue to face discrimination in
accessing health-care services. The Committee notes that the Immigration Act 2014 has
further restricted access to health services by temporary migrants and undocumented
migrants (art. 12).
56.
The Committee recommends that the State party take steps to ensure that
temporary migrants and undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, refused asylum
seekers, refugees and Roma, Gypsies and Travellers have access to all necessary
health-care services and reminds the State party that health facilities, goods and
services should be accessible to everyone without discrimination, in line with article 12
of the Covenant. The Committee draws the State party’s attention to its general
comment No. 14 (2000) on the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
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