Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, has been accused by a Tory MP of deliberately suppressing an ‘inconvenient’ report on the case for a sugar tax

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been accused by a Conservative MP of deliberately suppressing an ‘inconvenient’ report on the case for a sugar tax.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, head of the Commons health committee, has attacked the government’s decision to delay publishing a review from the country’s independent public health agency of how to reduce the public’s sugar intake before an inquiry into child obesity.

MPs will begin the obesity inquiry tomorrow and Dr Wollaston insists the report from Public Health England (PHE), which sets out the case for a sugar tax, should be made available to the inquiry, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The Tory MP questioned whether the independent PHE was bowing to political pressure from ministers who have made clear their opposition to a sugar tax and said the decision to delay the report’s publication will cause ‘immense damage’ and set a ‘dangerous precedent’.

PHE’s review of the evidence about how to reduce the country’s sugar intake examined the merits of higher taxes on sugary drinks and sweets, reduced standard portion sizes or action on discounted deals.

The review was due to be published last July but Mr Hunt and Duncan Selbie, the chief executive of PHE, have refused to hand over the report, according to letters seen by the Telegraph.

Tom Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: ‘We cannot but assume its evidence supports the idea of a sugary drinks tax and that would embarrass David Cameron who has already flatly, and risibly, rejected such a tax.’

In a series of letters to Mr Hunt, Dr Wollaston, a former GP, said there was a ‘clear public interest’ in publishing the information without further delay.

She wrote: ‘In keeping with the government’s stated policy of increasing transparency within the NHS and medical research, I believe that the department should lead by example and allow the public as well as members of parliament full and timely access to the report.

Dr Sarah Wollaston (pictured left) has attacked the government’s decision to delay publishing a review from Public Health England, which sets out the case for a sugar tax. David Cameron has already rejected such a tax

But Mr Hunt wrote back to Dr Wollaston telling her the review was ‘integral to ongoing policy development’ and would be published later this year, alongside a government strategy on childhood obesity.

In a furious letter to Mr Selbie on Friday, Dr Wollaston said the failure to publish the report raised questions about whether the independent agency had come under pressure from ministers.