Ah, the sound of summer... the nanny state telling us to keep the kids out of the sun
MUCH of Britain is rejoicing in a glorious summer heatwave, with crowds packing beaches, parks and beauty spots to have fun in the sun.
But curmudgeonly government officials have issued a blizzard of ‘nanny state’ diktats telling parents not to let their children play in the sun, and advising schools they ought to think about cancelling sports days.
Officials from the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued an alert warning that youngsters should be indoors between 11am and 3pm.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the quango, said: ‘Most of us can enjoy the hot weather when it arrives, but it is important to keep yourself hydrated and to find shade where possible when UV rays are strongest.’
Issuing a warning that lasts from 9am tomorrow until Friday morning, the agency also warned schools to avoid letting pupils undertake ‘vigorous physical activity’ if temperatures exceeded 30C (86F).
Meanwhile, the Met Office has advised people to wear wraparound sports sunglasses, ‘rather than just designer sunglasses, so there’s no gap on the side’.
Harry Fone, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘Brits are sick to the back teeth of the nanny state. Why can’t these quangocrats trust Brits to use their common sense? It’s a ridiculous use of taxpayers’ cash. Public bodies should focus on their core responsibilities, not lecturing the public.’
Christopher Snowdon, of the Institute for Economic Affairs, said: ‘When the UKHSA was formed last year, the idea was that it would focus solely on genuine public health problems...
‘As [then Health Secretary] Matt Hancock said at the time, the UKHSA’s “single mission” is to prepare for and respond to external threats like pandemics.
‘The UKHSA’s inane comments about how to deal with a few days of sunshine show that it is already drifting away from its mission. It has one job. It should stick to it.’
The agency said last night: ‘UKHSA’s remit is to protect the public from infectious diseases and environmental hazards, including extreme weather. There were an estimated 2,556 excess deaths during the three heatwaves in summer 2020.’
Britain will bask in ‘wall-to-wall sunshine’ in the coming days, with temperatures getting as high as 32C (90F) on Tuesday, potentially making it the warmest day of the year so far. The UK’s record for 2022 currently stands at 32.7C, taken at Heathrow on June 17.
The heatwave looks set to subside later in the week, when a cold front is expected to start pushing in.