The new Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) is built on the latest science and has been updated in line with the latest dietary advice, particularly in relation to free sugars, which are more strongly correlated with poor health outcomes, including obesity.

The Government committed in the 10-Year Health Plan to updating the standards behind the advertising and promotions restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and drink by applying the new NPM. Applying the new NPM to these policies is expected to reduce a further 110,000 cases of childhood obesity.

The NPM is used as part of a two-step process to determine ‘less healthy’ food or drink products in scope of the advertising and promotions restrictions. Products must first fall within one of the product categories in the legislation and second, score four or above for food, or one or above for drink in an NPM assessment. Confectionery, including chocolates and sweets, are one of the categories in scope of the restrictions.

We published the new NPM on 27 January 2026. On 25 March 2026, we launched a 12-week consultation seeking views on its proposed application to the advertising and promotions restrictions. The consultation closed on 17 June 2026. Alongside the consultation, we published a consultation-stage impact assessment, setting out the direct costs to businesses for the proposed application of the new NPM to these restrictions and invited views on this assessment.

We have engaged extensively with stakeholders throughout the consultation period and sought further evidence on the potential impacts of the proposals as part of the consultation process. We will use evidence from the consultation and our extensive engagement with stakeholders to inform final policy decisions and the final impact assessment, which will be published ahead of any legislative changes being made.

As my rt. hon Friend the Prime Minister said, the Government recently launched a major crackdown against criminals using high street businesses to launder money at almost 400 properties, which involved securing freezing orders over bank accounts totaling more than £1 million and arresting 35 individuals.

HMRC is leading a cross-Government risk assessment to establish a shared understanding of the key risks and their underlying drivers. The findings of this assessment will inform a revitalised and more ambitious coordinated cross-government approach to addressing the harms associated with these retail models.

The Government is committed to ensuring high street businesses such as candy retail stores are not exploited by criminals conducting illicit activity such as money laundering or tax evasion.

The Government’s approach to tackling money laundering is set out in the Economic Crime Plan 2 which includes action to disrupt cash-based money laundering and strengthen system wide coordination. The Government, working in partnership with law enforcement and other agencies, is closely monitoring the level of illicit activity in the high street and actively considering whether further systemic interventions are needed to tackle this threat.

Operationally, in March 2025, the National Economic Crime Centre in the National Crime Agency, coordinated a three-week crackdown against barbershops and other cash intensive businesses involving 19 different police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, as well as national agencies including HMRC, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. In total, 380 premises were visited across the three-week operation, with officers securing freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1m, executing 84 warrants and arrested 35 individuals. Officers also seized more than £40,000 in cash, 200,000 cigarettes, 7,000 packs of tobacco, over 8,000 illegal vapes and two vehicles.

This is the first phase of targeted action against criminals and organised crime groups who use high-street businesses to launder criminal monies.

Guidance on which types of food are zero-rated and which are standard-rated for VAT purposes can be found in VAT Notice 701/14 Food products on GOV.UK. Confectionery is covered at paragraph 3.6.

Businesses which have read the guidance and are still unsure of the correct VAT treatment of their product can contact HMRC for further support.

This Government is committed to supporting vibrant high streets that contribute to a thriving everyday economy, growth and community cohesion. Illegitimate businesses can undercut and undermine legitimate ones that are seeking to contribute to their high street and local economy.

Money laundering through cash-based high street businesses is a known issue that government continues to focus on. While businesses such as candy shops are not regulated under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), they interact with MLRs regulated businesses such as banks, who are required to undertake customer due diligence, and under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) must submit reports to the National Crime Agency if they suspect money laundering.

The government works closely with law enforcement and regulators to monitor trends in criminal behaviour – and how these may relate to changes in the make-up of our high streets – to ensure resources are deployed towards the most significant threats.

Supporting people to stay healthier for longer is at the heart of the Government’s Health Mission. We are committed to tackling the obstacles driving obesity. We have already laid secondary legislation to restrict advertisements of less healthy food and drink to children on TV and online, announced changes to the planning framework for fast food near schools and we are taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective and fit-for-purpose. We are also committed to banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16s.

The Government’s policy on the VAT rules relating to a) cakes b) confectionary and c) food is well established and guidance is readily available on GOV.uk for businesses to consult when deciding on the VAT liability of a product.

The Government keeps all taxes under review.

Inflation data for games, toys, and hobbies can be downloaded here https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/datasets/consumerpriceinflation.

The ONS also have a shopping prices comparison tool which shows inflation for oranges and chocolate, and can be found here https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/shoppingpricescomparisontool/2023-05-03.

The Government recently ran a call for evidence on youth vaping which closed on 6 June 2023. This will identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vaping products and explore where the Government can go further. We will respond later this year.

I am more than happy to ensure that my hon. Friend is put in contact with our export support scheme, our international trade advisers, our export champions, and our Export Academy to ensure that the world-famous rock continues to be sold across the world.

Alongside Blackpool tower and the pleasure beach, Blackpool rock is just one of the things that makes my constituency world famous. Exports of our most famous edible product, produced locally, are growing year on year. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how we can boost these exports around the world?

In December 2020 we published our response to the 2019 consultation on restricting promotions of products that are high fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) by location and price. The response confirmed the categories in scope of the restrictions and that the 2004/05 Nutrient Profiling Model will be used to define whether a product in these categories is HFSS.

Meal deals are generally targeted as lunch options for adults to consume on the go that day rather than being stockpiled at home and they aim to reduce the cost of a single meal. Therefore, it was decided that these types of price promotion will not be in scope of the volume price promotion restrictions. However, HFSS products that come under a category in scope of the policy would still be subject to the location restrictions, regardless of whether it is part of a meal deal.

Easter eggs can be found on the shelves and in key prominent locations in stores, such as end of aisle, checkouts and store entrances, up to three months before Easter and consumers typically buy these products as soon as they are available in shops and offered on promotion. Therefore, these products are in scope of the promotion restrictions.

In December 2020 we published our response to the 2019 consultation on restricting promotions of products that are high fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) by location and price. The response confirmed the categories in scope of the restrictions and that the 2004/05 Nutrient Profiling Model will be used to define whether a product in these categories is HFSS.

The Nutrient Profiling Model uses a simple scoring system where points allocated for ‘C’ nutrients (fruit, vegetables and nut content, fibre and protein) are subtracted from ‘A’ nutrients (energy, saturated fat, total sugar and sodium). Foods scoring four or more points, and drinks scoring one or more points, are classified as ‘less healthy’ and will be subject to the restrictions.

The Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close and has set out guidance on which organisations this requirement covers and what the exceptions are.

All food retailers, including food markets, supermarkets, convenience stores and corner shops are permitted to remain open.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with US officials about all aspects of UK-US trade. In addition, the UK-US Trade and Investment Working Group, which is dedicated to strengthening the bilateral trade and investment relationship, has now met five times since it was first convened in July 2017. These meetings include discussions on trade across a broad range of sectors relevant to US and UK economies, including the food and drink sector. They are designed to strengthen the current trading relationship and lay the groundwork for future negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement after EU exit.

The government will review the exemption for milk drinks containing added sugar from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy in 2020.

Given the nature of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy it would not be possible to extend it from drinks to food, a new tax would be required. The government does not have any plans to create such a sugar tax at this time.