Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) support the online advertising industry and (b) hold discussions with that industry on designing outcomes for the Online Advertising Programme further to the formal consultation that has already taken place.

My Department is committed to supporting a thriving advertising industry and works closely with its representatives to ensure the new reforms planned through the Online Advertising Programme (OAP) are proportionate and coherent.

The OAP is designed to ensure a level playing field for businesses by introducing regulation for the most concerning online advertising harms in order to keep UK internet users safe. Increasing transparency and accountability whilst preserving the current system where it is working will help us drive innovation and sustainable growth in the online advertising market.

Regarding the consultation on the OAP, we continue to engage closely with industry including recent ministerial roundtables with key industry stakeholders to discuss progress. We have also secured a delay to the High Fat, Salt or Sugar restrictions until 9 December 2023, to support the advertising industry further and ensure they are sufficiently prepared ahead of implementation.

We will publish a Government response to the OAP consultation in due course, and will continue to engage the industry on the outcomes of the consultation following publication.