Social Media: Substances Unfit for Human Consumption

Debate between Baroness Lloyd of Effra and Lord Harris of Haringey

Wednesday 17th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Harris of Haringey (Lab)]

My Lords, my noble friend the Minister has, very properly, talked about enforcement and the role of Ofcom, but there are other enforcement agencies which have a role in all of this. The issue of advertising standards has been raised, and that has got to be looked at, but there is also enforcement by trading standards. Can my noble friend the Minister tell us what discussions have taken place with DBT about the powers and resources available to trading standards to take these cases, which are often complicated, against bodies with a great deal of financial power?

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

My noble friend raises an important question. The landscape here includes action by law enforcement agencies, such as that under the fraud strategy. It involves the MHRA and Ofcom, and indeed the ASA and trading standards. These activities are co-ordinated across government to make sure that there is effective action. On the specific resources available to trading standards, I will take that question back to the department and come back to him.