Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2026, to question 12530 titled Diets: Religious Practice, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the current guidance on protecting patients’ religious or philosophical dietary preferences.

I refer the Hon Member to the NHS Food and Drink Standards, last updated in 2022, which states that people’s preferences, religious, and cultural backgrounds must be considered when providing food and drink. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-standards-for-healthcare-food-and-drink/