Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 12 December 2022 to Question 105459 on Food: Research, what progress the Food Standards Agency has made in developing dedicated guidance materials for alternative protein companies developing novel foods and processes; and when he plans to publish that guidance.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has prepared an information page for its website that will provide guidance to companies producing cell-cultivated products that wish to apply for regulatory approval. This will be published before the end of November 2023.
This page will outline information about the FSA’s regulated product application service, the regulations that apply to these cell-cultivated products, and information about labelling implications. Alongside this, the FSA has been providing pre-application support to businesses on an individual basis due to the novelty and complexity of this technology. This one-to-one engagement with business and industry has helped to inform and tailor our online guidance which will be available shortly.
The FSA is also considering producing additional regulatory guidance for alternative protein producers as part of its wider aim to support business innovation whilst ensuring that food is safe and what it says it is. In addition to this, a new UK Research and Innovation project was announced on 9 November 2023 that will work on new safety rules for the United States of America, Singapore, United Kingdom and the European Union with a focus on creating standards for cell-cultivated protein.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Summary of Responses to the Call for Evidence on Labelling for Animal Welfare, published by her Department in August 2022, whether she plans to take steps to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce labelling for animal welfare.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra’s Call for Evidence on Labelling for Animal Welfare gathered data on the impacts of different types of labelling reforms. Based on the information gathered, we will continue to work with stakeholders to explore how we can harness the market to improve food information for consumers. We will continue to gather evidence on the impacts of a wide range of market interventions, as well as how they could align with wider labelling proposals such as eco-labelling.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish a response to the call for evidence on introducing method of production labelling for animal products in England.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support the Government provides to (a) English and (b) Welsh wine producers.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has championed the success of English and Welsh wine producers for many years and the sector continues to be a fast-growing magnet for domestic and foreign investment. I am delighted to hear from wine producers that vineyards anticipate a record-breaking 2023 harvest in size and quality.
The Government is committed to supporting our booming wine sector. Defra recently published plans to reform the outdated and overly restrictive wine laws inherited from the EU. The primary purpose of the reforms is to remove barriers to growth, foster innovation in the sector and have a simplified rulebook that supports rather than hinders our producers. The plans include giving producers access to the latest winemaking practices and processes, changing labelling rules to support the marketing of innovative products and measures to reduce packaging waste and associated costs.
The reforms, developed in partnership with the sector, will maintain the UK's high food and drink standards. At the same time, the reforms offer our wine producers clearer rules, offering new opportunities for the sector to grow and innovate in the future.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the funding of £50 million announced to support businesses to cover costs of not-for-EU labelling has been baselined for future funding, or whether it is one-off funding.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The first phase of ‘Not-for-EU’ labelling requirements under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme took effect from 1 October. Further phases will follow in October 2024 and July 2025. The Government would not normally provide any financial support to businesses for the cost of new labelling requirements. However, in recognition of the accelerated timescale compared with standard labelling changes, we have exceptionally made available a £50 million fund, the Transitional Labelling Financial Assistance Scheme. This will cover 2023-24 (phase one) costs only, because the following phases are in line with normal timescales for labelling changes. Redesign, printing and warehouse costs for product, box, and shelf level labelling will all be in scope.
The Government will publish its assessment of the costs of the new labelling requirements in due course. The £50 million grant fund we have announced is designed to cover the majority, though not all, of industry costs incurred in this respect. This is to encourage efficiency and because labelling changes would normally be part of the cost of doing business for the food industry, as well as to protect the public purse.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the costs to UK businesses of the requirement for not-for-EU labels on products in (1) 2023–24 and (2) 2024–25.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The first phase of ‘Not-for-EU’ labelling requirements under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme took effect from 1 October. Further phases will follow in October 2024 and July 2025. The Government would not normally provide any financial support to businesses for the cost of new labelling requirements. However, in recognition of the accelerated timescale compared with standard labelling changes, we have exceptionally made available a £50 million fund, the Transitional Labelling Financial Assistance Scheme. This will cover 2023-24 (phase one) costs only, because the following phases are in line with normal timescales for labelling changes. Redesign, printing and warehouse costs for product, box, and shelf level labelling will all be in scope.
The Government will publish its assessment of the costs of the new labelling requirements in due course. The £50 million grant fund we have announced is designed to cover the majority, though not all, of industry costs incurred in this respect. This is to encourage efficiency and because labelling changes would normally be part of the cost of doing business for the food industry, as well as to protect the public purse.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what processes are in place to monitor the implementation of the Green Lane system for trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland to identify any practical issues for businesses.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government is conducting regular monitoring of the UK Internal Market Scheme and Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme and there are clear signs of new traders taking advantage of these new arrangements.
With respect to the UK Internal Market Scheme, as set out to the Northern Ireland Protocol Sub-Committee on 12 October, there are now more than 6,200 businesses registered - 2,200 of which (more than a third) are companies who were not members of the previous UKTS scheme. This list is dynamic, meaning more businesses moving goods in Northern Ireland will benefit over time.
With respect to the new Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme, the broader eligibility coupled with the certainty provided to businesses, mean that we have seen welcome signs of new traders taking advantage of the scheme. For example, wholesalers have written to customers noting that they are now able to “bring back some of your favourite products that we had to remove due to the previous Northern Ireland Protocol”. Consumers in Northern Ireland are also able to see the broader reach of the green lane, with for example shelf labelling in place in major food service outlets, which were excluded from the scope of the old grace periods.
The Government continues its extensive programme of engagement with businesses to identify any practical issues and ensure that the new Green Lane system continues to be implemented in a seamless manner.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase transparency on where food is produced.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Origin labelling is required for beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, goat and poultry meat, fish and shellfish, honey, olive oil, wine and most fruit and vegetables, as well as any other product where the consumer might otherwise be misled. We are working with industry to ensure that origin information is as transparent as possible, including for online sales. The next UK Food Security Report, which will include updated information on where food consumed in the UK is produced, will be presented to Parliament by the end of 2024.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
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 implications for his policies of childhood obesity levels in (a) City of Durham constituency, (b) County Durham, (c) the North East and (d) England; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle childhood obesity in each of those areas.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) collects data on children aged four to five years old (Reception) and 10 to 11 years old (Year 6).
The following table shows data on obesity prevalence from the NCMP in the academic year 2022-23. Data is not available at Parliamentary constituency level but is available at local authority, regional and England levels:
Percentage of children living with obesity | ||
Area | Reception (%) | Year 6 (%) |
County Durham | 11.8 | 25.6 |
North East | 11.3 | 25.8 |
England | 9.2 | 22.7 |
Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support children and families to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. Local authorities can fund behavioural weight management services from their Public Health Grant.
In England, new regulations on out-of-home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of less healthy products in key selling locations in store and online came into force in October 2022. The location restrictions are the single most impactful obesity policy in reducing children’s calorie consumption, and are expected to accrue health benefits of over £57 billion and provide savings to the National Health Service of over £4 billion over the next 25 years.
We are also working with the food industry to make further progress on reformulation and ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices. We have seen important successes including the average sugar content of drinks subject to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy decreasing by 46% between 2015 and 2020. There has also been success in some categories of the sugar reduction programme, including a 14.9% reduction of sugar in retailer- and manufacturer-branded breakfast cereals and a 13.5% reduction in yogurts and fromage frais.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce mandatory animal welfare labelling on food products.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Stimulating market demand for higher welfare products is a key strand of the Government’s Animal Health and Welfare Pathway.
We therefore ran a call for evidence in 2021 to gather data on the impacts of different types of animal welfare labelling reforms, which received over 1,600 responses. The evidence provided suggested that there is public appetite for improved welfare labelling.
We will continue working with key stakeholders to explore how we can harness the market to improve food information for consumers and raise animal welfare standards. As part of this, we will continue to gather evidence on the impacts of a wide range of market interventions, as well as how they would align with wider labelling proposals such as eco-labelling.