Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what engagement they have had with governments of other countries which fortify foods with folic acid in order to reduce the prevalence of neural tube defects.

The Department has engaged with New Zealand and Australia during the development of folic acid fortification policy. The proposed changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998, including the introduction of mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid, will require notification to the World Trade Organization in respect of Technical Barriers to Trade in advance of any new requirements. When the notification is made, there will be an opportunity for WTO members, including the European Union, to comment on the proposals.