Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Neath and Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential impact of granting the Welsh Government’s proposed UK Internal Market Act exemption to run its own Deposit Return Scheme on food and drink businesses.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is following the process to assess the Welsh Government’s proposal for an exclusion from the UK Internal Market Act as set out in the UK Internal Market Act Review published in July 2025. The Government has been engaging with stakeholders to gather evidence and feedback on the impact of the proposal on the UK internal market in order to inform its response to the Welsh Government’s proposal. The Government is working at pace to be able to communicate its position within the Resources & Waste Common Framework, in line with the processes set out in the 2025 Review.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help support pubs in sourcing and promoting British-produced food and drink.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The food strategy recognises the key role that regional and local food systems can play in supporting delivery of the growth, health, sustainability, and food security/ resilience outcomes. Defra wants to create an environment that champions UK food cultures and celebrates British food. The strategy is an opportunity to celebrate the food we make which is uniquely British, combining our heritage and the expertise and innovation of our food businesses. Connecting local communities can be a key vehicle for achieving this outcome and for harnessing a stronger food culture.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of junk food advertising on childhood obesity.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. We have implemented United Kingdom-wide restrictions on advertising of less healthy food and drink on television and online which we estimate will remove up to 7.2 billion calories from UK children’s diets each year and deliver health benefits of approximately £2 billion. We have also committed to updating the standards that underpin the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink to reflect the latest dietary advice and strengthen the restrictions by more effectively targeting the products of most concern to childhood obesity.
An impact assessment on the advertising restrictions of less healthy food and drink on television and online is published on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the consumption of junk food by children.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. As part of this, the Government has announced an ambitious programme aimed at improving the healthiness of the food environment. In December 2024, the Government published the revised National Planning Policy Framework for local government. As part of this, local authorities were given the stronger, clearer powers they have told us they need to block new fast-food outlets near schools.
On 1 October 2025, we implemented restrictions on volume price promotions for less healthy food and drinks, such as three for two offers, in stores and their online equivalents and United Kingdom-wide restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink on television and online came into force on 5 January 2026.
We have also consulted on banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old and announced changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy in the Autumn Budget to deliver greater health benefits to children.
We announced in the 10-Year Health Plan that, in a world-first, we will introduce mandatory healthier food sales reporting for large food businesses and set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales. We will also strengthen the existing advertising and promotions restrictions by consulting on applying an updated definition of ‘less healthy food and drink’.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of food inflation on residents in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Food and drink prices showed an annual rate of inflation of 4.2% in the year to November 2025, in the most recently published inflation figures for the UK, released by the Office for National Statistics. This is a decrease from 4.9% in October 2025.
General inflation in the UK was 3.2% in November 2025, down from 3.6% in October 2025.
These inflation figures are for the UK and are not available by constituency.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the publication of the new nutrient profiling model announced in the 10-year health plan for England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The plan also stated that the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) 2004/05, which underpins the advertising restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink products on television and online and promotion restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink products in stores and their equivalent places online, is out of date. Updating the standards to reflect the latest dietary advice will strengthen the restrictions and more effectively target the products of most concern to childhood obesity.
The Government intends to publish the new NPM in due course, ahead of consulting on its application to the advertising and promotions restrictions this year.
Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the publication of the new nutrient profiling model announced in the 10-year health plan for England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The plan also stated that the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) 2004/5, which underpins the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink products, is out of date. Updating the standards to reflect the latest dietary advice will strengthen the restrictions and more effectively target the products of most concern to childhood obesity.
The Government intends to publish the updated NPM next year and will consult on the application of the NPM to the advertising and promotions restrictions.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health impacts of 'forever chemicals' in British food and drink.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) aims to keep levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food as low as reasonably achievable.
The Committee on Toxicity (COT), an advisory body which provides independent scientific advice to the FSA, is currently undertaking an assessment of PFAS. This assessment will include an independent review of the available toxicological and epidemiological data, focusing on a number of biological and health effects. The COT’s assessment will also consider toxicokinetics (how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolises and excretes) of PFAS. Derivation of updated health-based guidance values where possible will also be considered.
The outcome of this assessment is expected to support human health risk assessment of PFAS by United Kingdom Government Departments and Agencies in the context of existing and legacy exposure through food, drinking water and the environment.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate has been made of the annual VAT revenue generated by tourism-related activity in Hemsby, including holiday accommodation, food and drink and local services.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue and Customs has not made estimate of total annual tax receipts generated by economic, employment or tourism related activity in Hemsby, Norfolk.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Explanatory Memorandum on European Commission Work programme for 2026, published on 17 November, what assessment they have made of the impact the "Buy European Food" campaign will have on the export of UK foods, and how that campaign complies with EU–UK treaties.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK and the EU are each other’s largest agrifood trade partners. In 2024, 57% (£14.1bn) of UK agri-food exports were to EU countries and 72% (£45.5bn) of UK agri-food imports were from EU countries. This trade is critical to the UK economy and food security.
The government is negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers.
The GREAT food and drink campaign, led by Defra, has been successfully promoting UK food and drink exports products globally under UK government’s GREAT Campaign brand since 2017.
The department awaits further details of the EU’s “Buy European Food” campaign, expected in 2026.