Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Food Banks

Tuesday 10 March 2026 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Catherine West asked about fiscal steps to reduce food bank use, including extending free school meals and removing the two-child limit.
  • Catherine West highlighted the role of the mutual sector in financial inclusion, mentioning a new 30 million credit union transformation fund.
  • Alex Easton paid tribute to food banks and called for urgent improvements in benefit transitions and deductions to prevent households from needing food banks.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Catherine West Lab Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Economy Benefits & Welfare Children & Families
Context

The level of use of food banks by families has been increasing, prompting concerns about the adequacy of existing support measures.

Question

What fiscal steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the level of use of food banks by families?

Answer from Lucy Rigby

We are committed to ending mass dependence on food parcels. This includes extending free school meals to children in families receiving universal credit and removing the two-child limit, which will lift 450,000 children out of poverty and significantly reduce the number of families using food banks according to the Trussell Trust.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify fiscal steps or concrete financial measures

How: We Are Committed To

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Q2 Catherine West Lab Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Economy Benefits & Welfare
Context

There are concerns about the role of financial institutions, including the mutual sector, in helping families and households in crisis situations.

Question

Does the Minister agree that everyone—including financial institutions such as the mutual sector, which often outperforms the private banking sector in access to finance and branch closure issues—needs to play their part in helping families and households at this critical juncture?

Answer from Lucy Rigby

We are a strong supporter of the mutual sector. As part of our financial inclusion strategy, we are backing the sector with initiatives such as the new £30 million credit union transformation fund and reform of the common bond.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q3 Alex Easton Ind North Down
NHS Benefits & Welfare
Context

There is a need for recognition of the work done by food banks and urgent improvements in benefit transitions and deductions to prevent households from falling into crisis.

Question

Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to the work of the food banks, not only in my constituency but across the United Kingdom, in stepping up to plug gaps for families? Does she accept that urgent improvements in respect of benefit transitions and deductions are needed to prevent households from being pushed abruptly into crisis?

Answer from Lucy Rigby

I pay tribute to the work of food banks. We are committed to ending mass dependence on food parcels and have lifted the two-child limit on universal credit, which will result in the largest expected reduction in child poverty in a single Parliament since records began.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address urgent improvements in benefit transitions and deductions

How: We Are Committed To

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