Jowell performs U-turn on ad ban.(Advertising)(Tessa Jowell)(Brief Article)

Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, this week softened her hard-line stance on the promotion of junk food to children by backing away from a TV ad ban, in a speech delivered at ISBA's annual conference on 3 March.

Instead, she indicated that she was ready to let Ofcom decide if the current rules were adequate in the light of rocketing levels of obesity among Britain's children. But she warned: 'The industry has to show it can keep its own house in order.'

Jowell's more moderate approach will not only cheer industry leaders but brings her more closely into line with John Reid, the health secretary. He believes an advertising ban would leave Labour vulnerable to the charge of creating a 'nanny state'.

She added: 'Many of those who shout the loudest for an advertising ban also demand high-quality children's programming - which is, of course, largely paid for by food advertising. So there are no quick wins here and no easy answers.'

She acknowledged that government intervention was 'not necessarily the silver ...