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1522691

registered interest
date	17/10/2022
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to encourage local authorities to support (1) local food networks, and (2) farmers’ markets.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL2643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2022 answer text <p>We have a Manifesto commitment to encourage people at home and abroad to Buy British. We will always champion our farmers and producers and support their efforts to provide a reliable and sustainable supply of excellent British food to the public.</p><p>HM Government is working closely with local authorities, from Cornwall to Northumberland, to support rural economies. We are working closely on the Rural England Prosperity Fund, which launched on 3 September 2022. This is a rural top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and supports HM Government’s Levelling Up White Paper and Future Farming Programme. It funds capital projects for small businesses and community infrastructure, which should help to improve productivity and growth in rural areas and strengthen the rural economy by supporting local jobs. Among other things, the Fund is aimed at encouraging farm businesses to consider diversifying their economic activity, including through support for initiatives such as community-owned shops that provide a platform to showcase local food and drink.</p><p>We also continue to work closely with local enterprise partnerships, as well as businesses and representative organisations, through regular engagement, regional workshop events, masterclasses and other events to develop local food and drink networks, promote local products and share best practice. As part of this engagement, we produced a ‘how to’ guide for businesses aimed at securing the benefits of selling their products at farmers’ markets.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 31/10/2022 16:20:37 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1520898

registered interest
date	11/10/2022
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that (1) farms, (2) food producers, (3) manufacturers, and (4) packagers, remain in business during this period of heightened energy costs in order to prevent a food shortage.
tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
uin	HL2501
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2022 answer text <p>While no national government can control the global factors pushing up the cost of energy, we will continue to support British business.</p><p>The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide a price reduction to make sure that all businesses, including chemical companies, and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. Non-domestic customers do not need to take action or apply to the scheme - support will automatically be applied to bills.</p><p>In addition, we have more than doubled our support for high energy usage businesses, reduced employer national insurance, slashed fuel duty, introduced a 50% business rates relief for eligible high street businesses and put the brakes on bill increases by freezing the business rates multiplier - worth £4.6 billion over the next five years.</p><p>HM Government is also supporting businesses to improve their energy efficiency by at least 20% by 2030. This could deliver up to £6 billion in cost savings by 2030.</p><p>We have extended the Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme by three years and more than doubled its budget.</p><p>The United Kingdom 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> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 26/10/2022 12:13:16 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

1520165

registered interest
date	10/10/2022
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to avoid food shortages this winter arising from water shortages and rising energy costs.
tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
uin	HL2426
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2022 answer text <p>The United Kingdom 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. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes.</p><p> </p><p>The United Kingdom’s 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 HM 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> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 02/11/2022 16:54:30 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	3792 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

1472998

registered interest
date	23/06/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the global food security crisis of reduced exports of grain, fertiliser and other agricultural products as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL1240
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2022 answer text <p>The impact of the invasion is being felt around the world but most acutely in countries already facing dangerous levels of food insecurity. The World Food Programme estimates that if the war continues, up to 47 million more people could face acute food insecurity this year, bringing the total as high as 323 million by the end of the year. There is an estimated 25 million ton backlog of grain unable to leave Ukraine due to Putin's reckless blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports. The UK is working closely with our international partners to mitigate the impacts of Russia's actions and to tackle global food and nutrition insecurity. We are holding Russia's actions to account, being clear that Western sanctions are not to blame, supporting UN-led negotiations to reopen maritime routes for food exports from Ukraine's sea ports, and supporting efforts to transfer grain to global markets via rail routes.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 07/07/2022 13:29:00 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1461062

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the conflict in Ukraine on international food markets; and what steps they intend to take to ameliorate that impact.
tabling member printed	Baroness Anelay of St Johns
uin	HL11
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>Putin's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is leading to further steep price rises in commodity markets, exacerbating the already deeply worrying deterioration in global food security. Even before the war, almost 1 billion people in 92 countries did not have enough food to eat on any given day, and 55 countries were already in acute hunger crises, emergency or famine conditions.</p><p><br>We know from the last crisis that the most immediate way to contain prices is to keep trade flowing. The UK has led a statement at the WTO, supported by nearly 60 countries, including a commitment by signatories to keep their food and agricultural markets open, predictable and transparent. We have announced a package of emergency humanitarian assistance to address critical rising food insecurity in the Horn of Africa and in Yemen and have pledged £286 million to meet needs in Afghanistan. Over the next 3 years, we will direct £3 billion to the most vulnerable countries and people to help them recover from crises. With our G7 allies, we support Germany's proposal for a Global Alliance on Food Security, to help scale up a rapid, needs-based coordinated response in a way that avoids a fragmented global response.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/05/2022 14:31:04 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns

1455675

registered interest
date	29/03/2022
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a National Food Security Council.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL7467
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2022 answer text <p>The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production and imports through stable trade routes.</p><p> </p><p>Defra already has well established ways of working with the industry. Ministers and officials meet with the food industry, through forums such as the F4 industry group (comprising the Food and Drink Federation, British Retail Consortium, National Farmers Union and Hospitality UK), the Food Supply Chain Resilience Planning Group, the Retailer Forum and the Food Resilience Industry Forum, 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 this subject, 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> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 20/04/2022 13:01:22 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1453827

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of an Affordable Food Innovation Fund being included in the White Paper to be published in response to the National Food Strategy.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Gloucester
uin	HL7276
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2022 answer text <p>The forthcoming Food Strategy White Paper is a once in a generation opportunity to create a food system that feeds our nation today and protects it for tomorrow. It will build on existing work across Government and identify new opportunities to make the food system healthier, more sustainable, more resilient, and more accessible for those across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Tackling poverty in all forms is a key priority for this Government. We are providing support worth around £21 billion this financial year and next to help families with the cost of living.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 05/04/2022 10:51:36 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4540 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Gloucester

1453843

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to divert crops intended for biofuel production into food production.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL7307
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2022 answer text <p>In 2019, 96,000 hectares of agricultural land in the UK were used to grow crops for bioenergy. This area represents just over 1.6% of the arable land in the UK. 20% of the land used for bioenergy was for biofuel (biodiesel and bioethanol) for the road transport market, with the remainder mostly used for heat and power production.</p><p>Whilst growing crops for the biofuel sector offers farmers more routes to market for their harvest, and flexibility in their crop rotations, consideration must also be given to land biodiversity or carbon-store value.</p><p>Our fantastic British farmers are world-leaders and carefully plan their planting to suit the weather, their soil type, and their long-term agronomic strategy. It is not government policy to determine which crops farmers should prioritise to include in their crop rotation.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 05/04/2022 10:50:27 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1439966

registered interest
date	10/03/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Food Supply
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the war in Ukraine on (1) global food supplies, and (2) food prices; and what steps they are taking, together with international partners, to mitigate global food insecurity.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL6878
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2022 answer text <p>The crisis in Ukraine has increased food prices and risks exacerbating high food insecurity in vulnerable countries. Countries immediately affected are those most dependent on food and fertiliser imports from Ukraine and Russia, in particular those that may not have sufficient options for substitution in the short term and have weak public finances. The UK is monitoring developments closely and is encouraging the relevant multilateral institutions to prioritise rapid information, analysis, and response options. We are working with G7 partners to consider policy and programming response that mitigates the risk of an extended global food price crisis and protects food security. This included the agreement on 11 March by G7 Agricultural Ministers to call on all countries to keep their food and agricultural markets open.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/03/2022 15:44:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1438498

registered interest
date	07/03/2022
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia, what plans they have to strengthen food security in the UK.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL6689
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2022 answer text <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, and shows that, overall, the UK has a highly resilient food supply. As we have seen over recent times, the food supply has coped well in responding to unprecedented challenges.</p><p>The UK's food import dependency on the Eastern European region is very low, so Defra does not expect any significant direct impact of this conflict on UK food supply. Ministers meet regularly with food industry figures, who remain confident in the supply chain. We will continue to speak with the industry to understand any potential pressures.</p><p>Defra has increased its engagement with industry through various forums to understand significant impacts of the Russian invasion on individual industries and supply chains in Defra's sectors.</p><p>Defra is well-versed in responding to disruption. Extensive work in this space has reinforced the long-standing view that the most effective response to food supply disruption is industry led, with appropriate support and enablement from Government.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 21/03/2022 11:37:42 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans