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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact to consumer diets of (a) delaying the food strategy and (b) focusing on policies on food deemed high in fat, sugar or salt.

The Government Food Strategy sets out our plan to ensure the food system is fit for the future and supports healthy and sustainable diets and are focussed on implementing the measures in this strategy. We have committed to report on how we are taking forward our actions under the strategy alongside the next UK Food Security Report.

DHSC have published impact assessments alongside all of our regulatory policies on products high in fat, salt or sugar. Restrictions on the promotion by location of products high in fat, salt or sugar in large retail settings came into force on 1 October and are expected to accrue health benefits of over £57 billion and provide NHS savings of over £4 billion, over the next 25 years. We are also working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for people to make healthier choices and increase progress on the reformulation of products.