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Written Question
Food: Labelling
Monday 26th January 2026

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 15 September (HL10372), what estimate they have made of the (1) initial, and (2) ongoing, costs of complying with the phase three food labelling requirements under the Windsor Framework.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government considered the practical and cost impacts of Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme Phase Three labelling requirements through detailed conversations with industry. However, based on previous experience showing the difficulty of accurately estimating labelling costs due to variability in business practices, we did not seek to quantify Phase Three cost estimates prior to it commencing. The data in the Impact Assessment on the costs of GB-Wide ‘Not for EU’ labelling published alongside the Marking of Retail Goods Regulations provides some context, however.

Businesses have already successfully carried out Phase Three, and we continue to monitor the market and work closely with industry across the United Kingdom to implement the Windsor Framework.


Written Question
Food: Labelling
Monday 26th January 2026

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 15 September (HL10371), what estimate they have made of the (1) initial, and (2) ongoing, costs of complying with the phase three food labelling requirements under the Windsor Framework.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government considered the practical and cost impacts of Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme Phase Three labelling requirements through detailed conversations with industry. However, based on previous experience showing the difficulty of accurately estimating labelling costs due to variability in business practices, we did not seek to quantify Phase Three cost estimates prior to it commencing. The data in the Impact Assessment on the costs of GB-Wide ‘Not for EU’ labelling published alongside the Marking of Retail Goods Regulations provides some context, however.

Businesses have already successfully carried out Phase Three, and we continue to monitor the market and work closely with industry across the United Kingdom to implement the Windsor Framework.


Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 22 Jan 2026
Artificial Intelligence: UK Preparedness

"My Lords, given the Government’s promise to consult and legislate on artificial general intelligence and superintelligence, which experts warn could lead to the extinction of humans, what indication can my noble friend the Minister give us of a timetable for such legislation in the forthcoming parliamentary Session?..."
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick - View Speech

View all Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Artificial Intelligence: UK Preparedness

Division Vote (Lords)
21 Jan 2026 - Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 139 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 65 Noes - 162
Division Vote (Lords)
21 Jan 2026 - Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 140 Labour No votes vs 1 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 207 Noes - 159
Division Vote (Lords)
21 Jan 2026 - Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 134 Labour No votes vs 3 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 261 Noes - 150
Written Question
Cardiovascular Diseases: Health Services
Wednesday 21st January 2026

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce incentives to encourage the adoption of recommendations in the Modern Service Framework for Cardiovascular Disease.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

To accelerate progress towards the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) in 2026. The CVD MSF will support consistent, high quality, and equitable care whilst fostering innovation across the cardiovascular disease pathway.

The Department and NHS England are engaging widely throughout the development of the CVD MSF to ensure that we prioritise ambitious, evidence-led, and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care, and as part of this we are considering the role of levers and incentives.


Written Question
NHS: Preventive Medicine
Wednesday 21st January 2026

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the 10 Year Health Plan for England, published on 3 July 2025, what the terms of reference will be for prevention accelerators; and which high-impact interventions those accelerators will focus on.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The sickness to prevention shift is one of three major shifts described in the 10-Year Health Plan to transform the health service. As part of this shift, prevention accelerators will demonstrate that investment in high-impact interventions on cardiovascular disease and diabetes can improve population health and reduce demand for National Health Services, such as elective appointments and general practice appointments.

Work to agree the formal arrangements with prevention accelerators is ongoing, alongside finalising the specific high-impact interventions that they will prioritise. We will share further information on the action underway in due course.


Speech in Grand Committee - Wed 21 Jan 2026
Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (Application to Immigration Officers and Designated Customs Officials in Northern Ireland) and Consequential Amendments Regulations 2026

"I thank my noble friend the Minister for his response so far and the noble Lord, Lord Davies, for his response. There is a particular issue here about the interpretation of Article 2 of the Windsor Framework, which is seen under the greater aegis of the Good Friday agreement as …..."
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick - View Speech

View all Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (Application to Immigration Officers and Designated Customs Officials in Northern Ireland) and Consequential Amendments Regulations 2026

Speech in Grand Committee - Wed 21 Jan 2026
Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (Application to Immigration Officers and Designated Customs Officials in Northern Ireland) and Consequential Amendments Regulations 2026

"I do not wish to delay proceedings. I recall that the noble Lord came into your Lordships’ House at the same time as me around October or November 2019. From my recollection, the Conservatives were in government. So, the noble Lord is bound to have had some recollection and he …..."
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick - View Speech

View all Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (Application to Immigration Officers and Designated Customs Officials in Northern Ireland) and Consequential Amendments Regulations 2026