Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure clear labelling of (a) locally produced fruit and vegetables and (b) imported produce.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK maintains high standards on the information provided on food labels and packaging so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. This applies equally to food that is domestically produced or imported.

The fundamental principles of our food labelling rules are that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable consumers to make informed decisions.

Country of origin information is compulsory for most uncut fresh fruit and vegetables. In any case, where an indication of origin or provenance is given, either in words or pictures, this must be accurate. Buying food locally and supporting their local food economy is important to many consumers and where any label indicates that a food is produced locally, this must not be misleading to a consumer.

Shops and supermarkets will often use in-store signs to help shoppers easily identify and buy great British produce and this too is subject to the food labelling rules.

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 impact of the proposed increase in national insurance contributions on general practices in Scotland.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at Autumn Budget 2024, which enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.  The employer national insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025, with the Department setting out further details on allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Whilst the Department holds some reserved functions, health is predominantly devolved. This includes the National Health Service in Scotland, which is therefore the responsibility of the Scottish Government.

It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding across devolved areas as they see fit, and they are accountable to their respective legislatures for the decisions they take.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the review of the eligibility criteria for the Nuclear Test Medal was completed in time for Nuclear Test Veterans to receive their medal before Remembrance Day.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The review of Nuclear Test Medal eligibility was conducted at pace. The expanded qualifying criteria were ratified by the Honours and Decorations Committee and approved by His Majesty The King on 6 November 2024. Those who directly supported the American atmospheric tests, which were conducted in the same time period as the independent UK atmospheric tests (1952 – 1967), are therefore now eligible for the first time.

I had the pleasure of presenting the first Nuclear Test Medal, using the expanded eligibility criteria, on Thursday, 7 November 2024, to Squadron Leader Peters, one of the RAF pilots who took part in Operation BAGPIPES. The Ministry of Defence has written to the relatives of two other former RAF personnel, now deceased, who participated in the American tests to advise that their applications have now been approved, and medals have been dispatched.

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