Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of resources available to local authority Trading Standards services to enforce high fat, salt and sugar regulations.

The Government agrees with the CMA’s recent assessment that the heating oil sector is not working as it should for consumers, which can lead to poor outcomes, especially during periods of volatility and for vulnerable consumers. This includes the process for price quotations, order cancellations, support for vulnerable consumers, and access to redress. We have therefore announced our intentions to regulate the heating oil sector for the first time. As an interim priority we agree to work with industry to strengthen consumer protections through existing Codes of Conduct, consumer protection initiatives, and awareness of and access to dispute resolution whilst longer-term regulatory solutions are worked through.