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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Health on the potential health implications of the lifting of EU sugar quotas.

The removal of EU sugar beet quotas will allow British growers to move towards competing with other sugar producers around the world. The Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan includes a range of actions to support families in reducing their sugar consumption, including a new Soft Drinks Industry Levy on sugary drinks and a challenge to industry to reduce 20% of sugar from the products that contribute most sugar to children’s diets by 2020. Defra meets regularly with the Department for Health and Public Health England to discuss these and other issues.