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Written question asked by Luke Myer (Labour) on Monday, 8 December 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 17 December 2025 (named day). It was answered by Dan Tomlinson (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 December 2025 on behalf of the Treasury.


Soft Drinks: Taxation

Question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review the sugar content of powdered milk based drinks and include those products within the scope of the soft drinks industry levy.

Answer

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced her intention to review the Soft Drinks Industry levy (SDIL) to drive further product reformulation, whilst maintaining the fundamental design of the levy as a tax on pre-packaged soft drinks with added sugar.

Following this review, between April and July 2025 the government consulted on proposed reforms to the SDIL. The outcomes of this consultation were confirmed at Budget 2025.

As part of the consultation, the government considered responses on dissolvable powders. It also considered the significant redesign of the levy necessary to include them as beyond the remit of the SDIL review, as set out by the Chancellor at Autumn Budget 2024.

More information on the outcome of the Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy consultation can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-the-soft-drinks-industry-levy/outcome/strengthening-the-soft-drinks-industry-levy-summary-of-responses

The government will not make any further changes to the design of the SDIL.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
98018
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Milk Taxation Soft drinks
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk