Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress the Competition and Markets Authority has made on its investigation into misleading environmental claims, announced on 26 January 2023.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Following the closure of the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) investigation into certain claims made by Unilever in relation to some of its fast-moving consumer goods, which include everyday items such as toiletries and cleaning products, the CMA does not currently have any open investigations into misleading environmental claims.
The CMA remains interested in the issue and may take further enforcement action where this is warranted and appropriate, based on intelligence and its published prioritisation criteria.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many products have been investigated in detail by the Competition and Markets Authority as part of its fast-moving consumer goods investigation announced in January 2023.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In January 2023 the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) announced a compliance review into the Fast Moving Consumer Goods sector – these include essential everyday items such as toiletries and cleaning products. Over the period following that announcement, the CMA carried out an initial review of hundreds of products.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has made on their investigation into misleading environmental claims made in relation to fast moving consumer goods announced in January 2023; and when he expects the CMA to report publicly on any findings.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Following its compliance review into environmental claims, in December 2023 the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) opened an investigation into certain claims made by Unilever in relation to some of its fast-moving consumer goods, which include everyday items such as toiletries and cleaning products.
In November 2024 the CMA announced its decision to close the investigation. In making this decision, the CMA took into account a range of factors, including changes Unilever had made to claims on some of its products and the wider impact of the CMA’s programme of work tackling misleading green claims.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to amend the policy paper entitled UK-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement: The UK’s Strategic Approach, published in June 2022.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Business and Trade published the UK's Strategic Approach for the UK-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement ahead of launching negotiations. The Strategic Approach was based on public consultation with stakeholders and has informed the approach to negotiations since launch.
Economic growth is the priority of this government and drives our trade agenda. The objectives of our Free Trade Agreement programme support delivery of this government's growth priorities.
The government will continue to update parliament as negotiations progress and will publish further information on the GCC Free Trade Agreement following the conclusion of negotiations.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 the prospective free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council on the climate.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK is a global leader on climate action, and we have been discussing a range of environment and climate issues with GCC partners under the trade agreement negotiations.
The UK - GCC Strategic Approach published on 22nd June 2022 on GOV.UK contains a chapter that covers the potential environmental impacts of the deal.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement provisions of the UK/Colombia: Bilateral Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investments on the (a) natural environment and (b) rights of indigenous peoples.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Hon. Member for North Herefordshire to my response to Question 12968 on 12th November 2024.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to update guidance for the Better Regulation Framework to include section 19(1) of the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Consistent with section 19(1) of the Environment Act 2021, the new template for regulatory impact assessments, published under the reformed Better Regulation Framework, states, “All policies, where relevant, must have due regard to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement, and demonstrate how the policy will affect the achievement of the legally binding Environment Targets set out in the Environment Act.”
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether any environmental (a) policies and (b) programmes are impacted by the UK Internal Market Act 2020.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK Internal Market Act provides the practical framework that facilitates businesses and people to trade and purchase goods and services freely across the UK. It supports economic growth and protects jobs and investment across all four nations of the UK. The Act does not prevent the UK Government or Devolved Governments from legislating in any areas of reserved or devolved policy, including environmental policy.