Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made on the potential impact of increasing the frequency of Antilock Breaking Systems (ABS) for large vehicles, including large estate cars and SUVs, on road safety; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of doubling the frequency at which ABS begins to operate in these vehicles from every 1/4 of a wheel turn to every 1/8.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The department has not made any assessment of the impact of increasing the frequency at which Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS) operate or start to operate as this does not reflect how these systems are regulated in practice.

The requirements for ABS have been developed by experts at an international level under the UN’s World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29). These requirements are performance‑based; manufacturers must demonstrate compliance (i.e. wheels do not lock) across a range of relevant conditions and are therefore responsible for determining the appropriate control strategies to meet them.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) support and (b) promote UNESCO Cities of Literature in the UK.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DCMS supports the UK’s UNESCO designations through its relationship with the UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC), which collaborates closely with the UK UNESCO Creative Cities across the UK, including Cities of Literature.

UKNC promotes the UK’s UNESCO Creative Cities through its public network platform, through accrediting new Cities of Literature, through its convening role and through wider programmes, including activity developed through the National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported Local to Global programme.

DCMS is also supporting a project between the National Library of Wales (in Aberystwyth - a UNESCO city of literature), the National Library of Scotland (in Edinburgh - also a UNESCO city of literature), the British Library, and the National Library of Ireland through the Cultural Cooperation Programme in partnership with the Irish Government.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support creative industries in Norwich.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Creative industries clusters across the UK, including in Norwich, are crucial to the delivery of our Growth Mission.

Our Creative Industries Sector Plan published last year includes a strong universal offer to drive growth in the creative industries in every place in the UK, including Norwich and the wider East of England region. It outlines new measures to break down barriers such as access to finance, supply of skills, and new support to kickstart innovation.

In addition, Arts Council England (ACE) focuses funding on the areas of the cultural sector most at risk, using both dedicated funds and wider investment. Its £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund is focused on supporting organisations, particularly in underserved areas, to protect vulnerable cultural infrastructure and local venues, ensuring access nationwide. This includes a flagship Norwich investment in ‘Creative Arts East'.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) new product labelling standards, including the proportion by weight of dominant food compounds such as salt and sugar and (b) developing new guidance to ensure that product descriptions, advertising and presentation on packaging give an accurate impression of ingredient balance on consumers.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Food labelling legislation requires that pre-packaged food and drinks include a nutrition declaration, which provides information on key nutrients, including salt and sugar. In addition, voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling, most commonly the multiple traffic light scheme, is widely used in the United Kingdom and provides clear, at-a-glance information on levels of energy, fat, saturates, sugar, and salt to support consumer understanding.

Ingredients must also be listed on the label in descending order by weight, giving consumers an indication of the relative proportion of ingredients in a product. There are currently no plans to introduce new labelling standards related to the proportion by weight of specific ingredients such as salt or sugar beyond existing requirements, but the Government keeps the evidence on how food labelling impacts the choices and consumption habits of consumers under review.

Legislation already requires that food labelling must not be misleading, particularly as to the nature, composition or characteristics of the food. This applies to product descriptions, advertising and presentation on packaging, and is intended to ensure consumers are not given an inaccurate impression of a product’s composition or ingredient balance. Separate legislation covers the use of nutrition and health claims, requiring that any such claims are substantiated, clear, and not misleading.

The Government has guidance in place to support compliance with food labelling requirements, including on nutrition and health claims, and keeps this under review.

Found: Representations from Members The following Members made oral representations: Alice Macdonald: Impact