Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the provision of healthy food options in hospital vending machines.

National Health Service hospitals are required to meet the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services through the NHS Standard Contract. They are also required to develop and maintain a food and drink strategy which focuses on healthier eating across the whole hospital community, including for their vending machines.