Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of non‑compliant vending machines entering the UK on (a) substandard and unverified energy‑efficiency performance at refrigerated vending machines, (b) the use of restricted refrigerant gases and (c) potential safety hazards for machine operators and consumers.

Refrigerant gases are regulated under the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Regulations, with enforcement sitting with the Environment Agency.

Under the Ecodesign for Related Products Regulations, refrigerated vending machines must meet minimum energy efficiency standards and carry accurate energy labelling. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, regulating on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, conducts risk-based, intelligence-led market surveillance and takes enforcement action where non-compliance is identified.

The Government has not received intelligence indicating a specific prevalence of non-compliant refrigerated vending machines and welcomes evidence from stakeholders which it will keep under review.