The Department of Health and Social Care, working in close collaboration with colleagues at the Home Office, are in the early stages of assessing the impact of food delivery services on levels of alcohol consumption and any resultant impact on public health, reflecting the importance of ensuring that the licensing regime remains robust and effective.

A roundtable was convened by both Minister Jones, Minister for Policing and Crime, and Minister Hodgson, Minister for Public Health and Prevention on 15 June, to explore the impact of rapid alcohol deliveries on consumption, the potential impact on harms, and potential solutions. We are also commissioning research to bridge evidence gaps.

The delivery of alcohol is regulated under the Licensing Act 2003, responsibility for which rests with the Home Office. This Government recognises that consumer purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in alcohol sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services.

A consumer’s energy supplier can already access their gas and electricity consumption data for regulated purposes such as billing. Consumers have a choice about the granularity of data that is provided to their supplier.

Smart meters automatically send household energy consumption data to energy suppliers via the smart metering communications network, removing the need for manual meter reading. This supports easier switching between suppliers.

A consumer’s energy supplier can already access their gas and electricity consumption data for regulated purposes such as billing. Consumers have a choice about the granularity of data that is provided to their supplier.

Smart meters automatically send household energy consumption data to energy suppliers via the smart metering communications network, removing the need for manual meter reading. This supports easier switching between suppliers.

The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of alcohol delivery services on consumption of alcohol or public health.

The delivery of alcohol is regulated under the Licensing Act 2003, responsibility for which rests with the Home Office. The Government recognises that consumer purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in alcohol sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services. I recently convened a roundtable with Minister Jones, the Minister for Policing and Crime, to explore this issue further and discuss potential solutions.

The Government provides households with a range of guidance and support to help reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency, including grant eligibility checkers and the ‘Find Ways to Save Energy in Your Home’ service on GOV.UK offering tailored advice on home retrofit. We also launched several consumer energy campaigns over the winter. Adverts ran across radio, out-of-home advertising, online video, community media, display, social media, search, and paid media partnerships, promoting heat pumps, EVs and energy-saving tips.

Through the Warm Homes Plan, we are investing significantly in home upgrades and have committed to establishing the Warm Homes Agency to simplify and streamline the consumer journey further, providing consumers with a single, trusted source of advice and support on different measures, funding eligibility, trusted installers, and other options available to households.

Recent analysis at global level, including by the International Energy Agency, has highlighted the extensive potential for AI applications in energy to cut costs and lower consumer bills.

Government will publish an AI Strategy for Energy in Autumn this year, which will set out the actions it is taking to apply AI to the Clean Energy Superpower mission. The AI for Clean Energy Champion is also preparing a review of AI deployment in electricity networks, for publication in the summer.

The proportion of UK food consumption that is domestically produced is shown in the below table, for the latest available years. This information is published annually in Defra’s Agriculture in the UK report.

The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) came into law on 5 April 2018, having been announced in 2016. Between 2015 and 2024 sugar levels in drinks in scope of the levy reduced by 47%, and while no formal assessment of the impact on children has been undertaken, the scale of reduction will have an impact on the sugar intake of children.

Data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), an ongoing Government survey of food consumption, nutrient intake, and nutrient status in the United Kingdom, showed a fall in sugar intakes between 2014 to 2019, in older children and adolescents. This appears to be partly driven by soft drinks contributing less to sugar intakes, likely as a result of the changes made to drinks in scope of the SDIL.

The latest results for 2019 to 2023 show that sugar intakes in children remain approximately double the maximum recommendation and children aged 11 to 18 years old are the highest consumers of sugar sweetened soft drinks. Diets high in sugar increase the risk of dental caries as well as weight gain, which can ultimately result in living with overweight and obesity and related adverse health outcomes. The NDNS will continue to monitor sugar intakes following reformulation of drinks in scope of the SDIL.

Academic modelling indicates that reductions in sugar from drinks subject to the SDIL may have prevented 5,000 cases of obesity in girls aged ten to 11 years old, with greater impact on those attending schools in the most deprived areas. Modelling data also suggests that the changes resulting from the SDIL may have reduced hospital admissions for dental caries related tooth extractions in those aged zero to nine years old and for asthma related issues in those aged five to 18 years old.

Following formal consultation, two changes to the SDIL were announced in the 2025 Autumn Budget which will apply from 1 January 2028:

• reducing the lower sugar threshold at which the levy applies from 5 grams to 4.5 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres; and
• removing previous exemptions for pre-packed added sugar milk-based and milk substitute, for example oat, soya, and/or almond, drinks.

The Department carried out a health benefits assessment to estimate the sugar and calorie reduction from these changes through product reformulation and consumer substitution to alternative drinks.

This analysis estimates a sugar reduction equivalent to per person per day calorie reductions of 0.3 kcal in five- to ten-year-olds, 0.4 kcal in 11- to 18-year-olds, 0.3 kcal in 19- to 64-year-olds, and 0.2 kcal in those aged 65 years old and over. This is equivalent to approximately four million kcal per day in children and 13 million kcal per day in adults.

This Government is committed to rooting out human rights and labour abuses from global supply chains. We support responsible business conduct standards to accelerate the positive contribution of companies to sustainable development and help businesses avoid and address any direct or indirect adverse impacts.

In the Trade Strategy, we launched the Responsible Business Conduct review, to evaluate the UK’s current approach, and assess the merits of alternative policy options to support responsible business. Ministers will update Parliament when the review is complete.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question’s of 22nd January is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question’s of 22nd January is attached.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. The Plan committed to introducing mandatory healthy food sales reporting for all large businesses in the food sector before the end of this Parliament and targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities, in line with United Kingdom dietary guidelines. This will set full transparency and accountability around the food and drink that businesses are selling and to encourage healthier products.

The policy is expected to cover foods that are high in salt and we expect businesses to consider salt reduction as part of actions to increase the healthiness of their sales.

In general, alcohol consumption among under 18 year olds has been declining over the last 20 years. The Chief Medical Officer for England’s guidance for healthcare professionals on alcohol consumption in children and young people is clear that an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest option. The Department promotes this guidance through the alcohol and drug information and advice service ‘Talk to FRANK’ which can be accessed at the following link:

www.talktofrank.com

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy.

The Government convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help map that transition; we will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy.

The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including chemicals and plastics, as well as: agri-food; built environment; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport.

Defra, in collaboration with experts across Government, industry, academia and relevant non-governmental organisations, will assess what further interventions may be needed across the plastics sector.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are taking decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever. As part of this, the Government has announced an ambitious programme aimed at improving the healthiness of the food environment. In December 2024, the Government published the revised National Planning Policy Framework for local government. As part of this, local authorities were given the stronger, clearer powers they have told us they need to block new fast-food outlets near schools.

On 1 October 2025, we implemented restrictions on volume price promotions for less healthy food and drinks, such as three for two offers, in stores and their online equivalents and United Kingdom-wide restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink on television and online came into force on 5 January 2026.

We have also consulted on banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old and announced changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy in the Autumn Budget to deliver greater health benefits to children.

We announced in the 10-Year Health Plan that, in a world-first, we will introduce mandatory healthier food sales reporting for large food businesses and set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales. We will also strengthen the existing advertising and promotions restrictions by consulting on applying an updated definition of ‘less healthy food and drink’.

Salt intake is assessed through an analysis of sodium in urine samples. The next urinary sodium survey of adults aged 19 to 64 years old in England is planned to start in late 2026, with the results published in 2029.

The Government is committed to supporting the sustainable, industry‑led growth of the aquaculture sector, and the English Aquaculture Strategy sets out the aquaculture sector’s ambitions for 2040.

We have no plans for a legally binding food production target, but as we develop plans to support delivery of the food strategy outcomes, we are focussed on securing resilient domestic production that supports good growth and enhances domestic food security.