Recommendations & Conclusions
12 items
1
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
We support the principle that schools and local authorities should have multiple options, such as food parcels and vouchers, for providing free school meals to their pupils. They are best placed to know what works best for their communities. It is important that families have the flexibility to meet their …
Government response. Response: Now that schools have fully reopened, children are able to access their meals, free to those eligible, at school. Although the National Voucher Scheme is no longer in operation following the re-opening of schools on 8 March, schools are …
2
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
We heard evidence that many wholesalers who were providing pupils with food parcels, provided them in line with Government guidance. However, a minority of parcels were clearly unacceptable. It is therefore unfortunate that the failings of some suppliers, in terms of quality and value for money, led to a fall …
Government response. Response: Now that schools have fully reopened, children are able to access their meals, free to those eligible, at school. Although the National Voucher Scheme is no longer in operation following the re-opening of schools on 8 March, schools are …
3
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
We know that during lockdown food insecurity is particularly likely amongst those eligible for free school meals. Therefore, in the event of another lockdown, Government should ensure that families of children who would normally receive free school meals continue to be able to feed their children.
Government response. Response: Now that schools have fully reopened, children are able to access their meals, free to those eligible, at school. Although the National Voucher Scheme is no longer in operation following the re-opening of schools on 8 March, schools are …
4
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Although the intention of the food parcels scheme during the first lockdown was to provide food to the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable, it also had the effect of supporting wholesalers. However, it is right that in designing its support for the vulnerable, the Government has focussed on the needs of recipients …
Government response. The Government has continued to take this recipient-first approach forward to subsequent stages of food access support for the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV). Following the first lockdown, priority access to delivery slots with seven supermarkets (Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, …
5
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
During the 2021 lockdown, the Government has relied more heavily on supermarkets to provide food to vulnerable groups. We support the principle that where possible people should be supported to shop for themselves. However, if the Government is directing custom towards supermarkets, it should be publicly asking them to accommodate …
Government response. Defra is grateful for the support of supermarkets to enable vulnerable individuals to access prioritised home delivery slots, as we continue to hold regular conversations with each of the seven supermarkets participating in the offer of priority access to online …
6
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
It is imperative that food retailers ensure that their stores are accessible to disabled people. We recognise the challenges faced in adapting stores to social distancing in the early months of the pandemic, but there is no excuse for ongoing barriers. All food retailers must ensure that reasonable adjustments are …
Government response. The Government is clear that all service providers - including shops and supermarkets selling food - must at all times comply with the law and make reasonable adjustments for their disabled customers. In this context the duty is anticipatory, meaning …
7
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Without proper data, we cannot take action on the scale required and targeted at those in greatest need to tackle the causes and consequences of food insecurity. Data from charities indicate that many more people are food insecure as a result of the pandemic. The food security report under the …
Government response. The Government agrees that robust official Government data is required to understand the full scope of the food security picture and support future policy decision making. The report, under the Agriculture Act, which will be published at the end of …
8
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Ensuring everyone, and especially the vulnerable, have access to enough food is a fundamental duty of society and Government. We recognise that this is a goal the Government shares, even if there are differences over how best to achieve it. Although there have been failings, Ministers have mobilised their departments …
Government response. Since the start of the pandemic, Government departments have come together to coordinate support for the most vulnerable. For example, the Food to the Vulnerable Ministerial Taskforce was set up in Spring 2020 to respond to some of the initial …
9
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
We agree that enshrining principles in law is not a “silver bullet”, however, giving the “right to food” a legislative footing would drive action on food insecurity across Whitehall and Government. We therefore recommend that the Government should consult on how a “right to food” could be implemented in England …
Government response. We are committed to helping people with the cost of living and providing a safety net for those that need it through our well-established social security systems. The level of support that this Government has put in place throughout the …
10
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Food redistribution helps to provide nutritious food to those who might not otherwise have access to it, as well as minimising waste. We reiterate our recommendation that Covid-19 and the issues of security in food supply 25 the Government should provide ongoing funding to FareShare and other charities, so they …
Government response. The Government is committed to reducing and preventing food waste. To that end a holistic programme of action is in place to reduce and prevent food waste from the home and from business and includes helping to redistribute more surplus …
11
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
We support the Chancellor’s announcement in the Budget that the hospitality sector will continue to receive at least the same level of financial support. However, we remain concerned that those who supply them have not received the same level of financial support. Many of these suppliers are small businesses, who …
Government response. Response: The closure of the hospitality sector has had a major impact on suppliers within the food supply chain. The Government has welcomed continued engagement and close collaboration with industry, and this has helped us to understand the implications. The …
12
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
We welcome the Minister’s assurances that there is no intention to extend the relaxation of competition law for retailers. We repeat our recommendation that the Government and Competition and Markets Authority should review whether the relaxation of competition law has been detrimental to consumers and suppliers to large retailers during …
Government response. Throughout the Covid-19 response, the Government worked closely with the appropriate bodies to ensure the protection of consumers and suppliers. In March 2020, the CMA launched a programme of work to identify, monitor and respond to competition and consumer problems …