Post-Brexit nutrition rules require ongoing parliamentary scrutiny

18 Nov 2020 12:17 PM

The House of Lords Common Frameworks Scrutiny Committee has written to the Minister for Health, Edward Argar MP, arguing that the UK’s post-Brexit nutrition rules, in the form of the Nutrition Labelling, Composition and Standards (NLCS) framework, will need ongoing parliamentary scrutiny after the end of the transition period.

• Letter from Baroness Andrews to Edward Argar MP on the nutrition framework, 17 November 2020
• Letter from Edward Argar MP to Baroness Andrews on the nutrition framework, 2 November 2020
• Common Frameworks Scrutiny Committee

Background

Following its scrutiny of the NLCS Provisional Framework, the Committee expresses its concerns about the process for scrutinising this framework, the lack of clarity over its relationship with the Internal Market Bill, and the insufficient consideration given to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Committee recommends that the annual report on the NLCS Policy Group should be shared with the UK Parliament and devolved legislatures, not just Ministers. This, it argues, “would ensure an appropriate degree of transparency … and would be essential for the purposes of effective parliamentary scrutiny” in the future.

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visit Parliament: Watch committees