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1654281

registered interest
date	19/07/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to introduce a (a) food security index, (b) food security target and (c) statutory duty to monitor and report on domestic food production levels annually.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	195025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/09/2023 answer text <p>Food security is a complex and multifaceted issue. There is no single indicator or index that captures the breadth of food security issues effectively. In the Government food strategy, we committed to broadly maintain the current level of food we produce domestically. We already monitor and report on domestic food production levels annually in our Agriculture in the United Kingdom publication. This is produced to meet a reporting commitment in the Agriculture Act 1993. In addition, the Agriculture Act 2020 commits the Government to produce analysis of statistical data relating to food security at least once every three years.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 04/09/2023 16:04:35 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1647517

registered interest
date	23/06/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve food security.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	190960
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2023 answer text <p>The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption.</p><p> </p><p>Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 61% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years.</p><p>UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.</p><p>The Farm to Fork Summit took place on 16 May 2023. Discussions focused on bringing great British food to the world; building resilience and transparency; strengthening sustainability and productivity across the supply chain; and growing an innovative, skilled food and farming sector. Engagement with the entire supply chain will continue as we deliver the commitments from the summit, to support our continued high levels of food security.</p><p> </p><p>Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. The next Food Security Report will be published by the end of 2024.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 28/06/2023 13:29:41 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1644733

registered interest
date	14/06/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve food security in the UK.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	189503
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2023 answer text <p>The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption.</p><p> </p><p>Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 61% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years.</p><p> </p><p>UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.</p><p> </p><p>Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. The next Food Security Report will be published by the end of 2024.</p><p> </p><p>The Farm to Fork Summit also took place on 16 May 2023. Discussions focused on bringing great British food to the world; building resilience and transparency; strengthening sustainability and productivity across the supply chain; and growing an innovative, skilled food and farming sector. Engagement with the entire supply chain will continue as we deliver the commitments from the summit.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 19/06/2023 15:16:38 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1623983

registered interest
date	26/04/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has held recent discussions with trade union representatives on food security.
tabling member constituency	Gateshead
tabling member printed	Ian Mearns
uin	182835
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2023 answer text <p>We have recently not held discussions with trade union representatives on food security but do engage regularly with trade bodies such as the National Farmers Union and Food and Drink Federation on food security and other issues.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to work closely with external partners across the food supply industry to understand, assess and monitor the food and drink supply. Defra works closely with the major food retailers to understand consumer behaviour and if/how this is impacted by pressures on the supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. Defra has a collaborative relationship with industry which allows us to effectively respond to disruption, should it occur.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 02/05/2023 16:15:55 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4000 label Biography information for Ian Mearns

1612885

registered interest
date	20/04/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of food security.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	181993
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2023 answer text <p>The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption.</p><p> </p><p>Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 61% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years.</p><p> </p><p>UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.</p><p> </p><p>Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. It recognises the contribution made by British farmers to our resilience and considers the UK's food supply sources overall, noting that domestic production and diversity of supply are both important to our food security. The next Food Security Report will be published in 2024.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 26/04/2023 12:44:14 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1610523

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is her Department’s policy to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding between food security agencies in her Department and respective UK devolved agencies and the European Food Security Crisis Preparedness and Response Mechanism (EFSCM) Expert Group.
tabling member constituency	Gordon
tabling member printed	Richard Thomson
uin	180656
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2023 answer text <p>It is not the Department’s policy to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding between food security agencies UK devolved agencies (DAs) and the European Food Security Crisis Preparedness and Response Mechanism (EFSCM) Expert Group.</p><p> </p><p>However, recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report (UKFSR) was published in December 2021. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of engagement on food security we engage widely and frequently with both public and private sectors through various fora.</p><p> </p><p>We engage with DAs through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group and the EFRA Resilience priority meetings. Routine engagement with DAs also takes place through the Food Resilience Industry Forum (FRIF).</p><p> </p><p>Defra continues to engage with international partners in the G20 Agricultural Market Information System and the World Trade Organization (WTO) to facilitate smooth functioning of the global food trade. G7 Agricultural Ministers are committed to cooperating closely and taking concrete actions to safeguard global food security.</p><p> </p><p>Defra closely monitors markets and supplies through the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group and other industry engagement forums to explore the factors that have contributed to ongoing supply chain pressures. As a result of recent fruit and vegetable supply issues, Defra is considering how government and industry can work together to mitigate these in the short and longer term.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 19/04/2023 11:21:38 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4796 label Biography information for Richard Thomson

1604407

registered interest
date	15/03/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of household food insecurity on households across the UK.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	166266
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2023 answer text <p>The United Kingdom Food Security Report 2021 includes analysis of food security at household level. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has recently published new data from the Family Resources Survey on household food security, giving a better understanding of who is most at risk. DWP has also included new questions in the family resources survey for 2021/22 which will be published in March 2023 and will further expand evidence in this area.</p><p><br> DWP is responsible for wider poverty policy, of which household food insecurity is one element.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 20/03/2023 15:10:37 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1603627

registered interest
date	13/03/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to monitor data from retail supply chains to understand the impact on food supply and consumer choice.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	163719
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2023 answer text <p>The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. We speak regularly with food industry figures, who remain confident in the food supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to keep the market situation under review through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments. Defra has requested weekly data from supermarkets on supplies of the foods to ensure we have the latest available data. Defra’s view is that the most effective response to food supply disruption is industry-led, with appropriate support and enablement from HM Government.</p><p>Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.</p><p> </p><p>In recent weeks some supermarkets applied item limits to a small number of fruit and vegetables due to poor weather affecting the harvest in Spain and North Africa, where a high proportion of produce consumed in UK at this time of year is grown.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is closely monitoring markets and supply chains to explore the factors that have contributed to ongoing supply chain pressures and is considering how government and industry can work together to mitigate them, in the short and longer term.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has requested weekly data from supermarkets on supplies of the foods affected to ensure we have the latest available data.</p><p> </p><p>Supermarkets are confident that supply will be back to normal by the end of this month.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 163720 163721 163723 question first answered 16/03/2023 15:07:02 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1603628

registered interest
date	13/03/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what indicators her Department uses to determine the threshold for intervention in the food supply chain.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	163720
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2023 answer text <p>The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. We speak regularly with food industry figures, who remain confident in the food supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to keep the market situation under review through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments. Defra has requested weekly data from supermarkets on supplies of the foods to ensure we have the latest available data. Defra’s view is that the most effective response to food supply disruption is industry-led, with appropriate support and enablement from HM Government.</p><p>Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.</p><p> </p><p>In recent weeks some supermarkets applied item limits to a small number of fruit and vegetables due to poor weather affecting the harvest in Spain and North Africa, where a high proportion of produce consumed in UK at this time of year is grown.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is closely monitoring markets and supply chains to explore the factors that have contributed to ongoing supply chain pressures and is considering how government and industry can work together to mitigate them, in the short and longer term.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has requested weekly data from supermarkets on supplies of the foods affected to ensure we have the latest available data.</p><p> </p><p>Supermarkets are confident that supply will be back to normal by the end of this month.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 163719 163721 163723 question first answered 16/03/2023 15:07:02 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1603629

registered interest
date	13/03/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department takes to routinely monitor the range of food products available to consumers.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	163721
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2023 answer text <p>The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. We speak regularly with food industry figures, who remain confident in the food supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to keep the market situation under review through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments. Defra has requested weekly data from supermarkets on supplies of the foods to ensure we have the latest available data. Defra’s view is that the most effective response to food supply disruption is industry-led, with appropriate support and enablement from HM Government.</p><p>Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.</p><p> </p><p>In recent weeks some supermarkets applied item limits to a small number of fruit and vegetables due to poor weather affecting the harvest in Spain and North Africa, where a high proportion of produce consumed in UK at this time of year is grown.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is closely monitoring markets and supply chains to explore the factors that have contributed to ongoing supply chain pressures and is considering how government and industry can work together to mitigate them, in the short and longer term.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has requested weekly data from supermarkets on supplies of the foods affected to ensure we have the latest available data.</p><p> </p><p>Supermarkets are confident that supply will be back to normal by the end of this month.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 163719 163720 163723 question first answered 16/03/2023 15:07:02 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman