To ask the Minister of Health, given that 66,000 people in Northern Ireland are living with prediabetes, what support his Department is providing to the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Programme in each Health and Social Care Trust.

The Diabetes Prevention Programme is an evidence-based diabetes prevention programme for NI, delivered by the Public Health Agency (PHA). The overall aim of the programme is to reduce the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes by identifying individuals at high risk and offering referral to an evidence-based behaviour change programme. This regional programme was commissioned and implemented by PHA, across all five Heath and Social Care Trusts. While this programme was not recurrently funded, HSCTs continue to deliver at a reduced volume.

PHA leads on the non-departmental actions of the “Fitter Future for All” 10-year Obesity Prevention framework 2012 - 22. PHA invests in a number of obesity prevention programmes that align to diabetes prevention and continues to work with a range of other partners to promote activities that will encourage healthy lifestyles that contribute to obesity prevention.