C-stores, takeaways and other independents are to be targeted in an extension of the government’s Responsibility Deal.

The Department of Health said it planned to work with councils to get them to take on its work in areas such as salt reduction and obesity, claiming smaller businesses had slipped through the net of previous pledges.

To kickstart the initiative, workshops will be held across the country from January. The DH has also drawn up a menu of actions and a toolkit for councils to start gaining pledges from small traders.

“Although we have many SME partners, engagement with small local businesses cannot be secured effectively by central government,” said a DH spokesman. “We believe the Responsibility Deal model could be used to drive change at a local level, reaching the millions of people employed in local businesses, benefiting local communities and ensuring healthier options on the high street.”

Major suppliers and retailers have long argued that the Deal fails to tackle local health issues.

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