Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of applying the new Nutrient Profiling Model to advertising and promotions restrictions on food inflation.

We recognise the concerns about rising costs associated with the conflict in the Middle East. On 21 April, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out the Government's approach to support for businesses and families with the impacts of the conflict.

Regulations relating to the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) are not major drivers of food price inflation.

We have launched a consultation on the proposed application of the updated NPM to advertising and promotions restrictions, open until 17 June. A consultation-stage impact assessment, setting out the direct costs to businesses and the intended health outcomes, was published alongside this.

The current NPM is approximately 20 years out of date and does not reflect the latest evidence, particularly on free sugars, which are more strongly correlated with poor health outcomes, including obesity.