House of Commons · Westminster Hall
21 October 2020 · 4 other contributors · 3,457 words
Opened by Ian Byrne Lab Liverpool West Derby
Responding minister: Victoria Prentis
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Ian Byrne raised concerns about right to food in legislation in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The Government should incorporate international treaties such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights into domestic law to establish a right to food, ensuring indicators and mechanisms are in place to tackle and measure food insecurity. The MP also supports considering universal basic income as one solution among others.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The humanitarian crisis of food insecurity affects millions across the UK, particularly highlighted by an 81% increase in emergency food parcels from Trussell Trust food banks during March 2020. The issue is linked to welfare cuts and systemic failings over decades, leading to a stark rise in families, pensioners, working poor, and homeless people needing food aid. The MP recalls witnessing long queues for a local food bank, reflecting the severity of the problem.
She mentioned a charity called Foodshare, which deals with food wastage from companies and farms, and suggested that there is enough food to feed everyone in the country.
In Wales, they are piloting a universal basic income initiative, as prevention is better than cure for food poverty. She endorses the recommendation of the Welsh Senedd to introduce universal basic income. Welsh Government has extended free school meals during holidays until spring 2021, costing £11 million, highlighting the urgent need for the UK government to follow suit.
He thanked his hon. Friend for working with the football community and expressed that everyone should come together to make a difference on the issue of food poverty.
Since the start of the lockdown, food bank use in York has increased by 300%, and she supports a statutory right to food. The demand for food security will escalate sharply due to mass job losses. She asks what additional support will be put in place for local authorities and where the funding will come from.
Government Response
Victoria PrentisIt is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I congratulate the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Ian Byrne) on securing such an important debate and express my thanks to all those who have kept the nation fed during the pandemic, including the community fridges in Banbury and FareShare. The Government set up a cross-Whitehall ministerial taskforce to ensure food and essential supplies reached the vulnerable during the pandemic, relaxing competition laws and drivers' hours as necessary. In response to Henry Dimbleby's interim report, published in July, we have made a firm commitment to publish a food White Paper within six months of his final report due next spring. We have also reduced the minimum frequency of reporting on food security from five to three years under clause 19 of the Agriculture Bill. To ease financial burdens during the pandemic, the Government introduced income protection schemes, mortgage holidays, and additional support for renters, injecting approximately £9 billion into the welfare system. Through wholesaler partners, we delivered 4.5 million boxes of essential food to vulnerable people identified by the NHS as particularly vulnerable in March. We also provided an additional £63 million-worth of food for local authorities in England targeting those who need it most. The Government will carefully consider recommendations from the new child food poverty taskforce established by Marcus Rashford as we approach the next spending review.