Recommendations & Conclusions
12 items
1
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Accepted
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 …
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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 specific needs and preferences.
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Government response AI summary
The government states that with schools reopened, children can access free meals. For self-isolating children, schools are encouraged to provide food parcels or have the option to purchase local food vouchers, aligning with the principle of multiple options and local flexibility.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
2
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Not Addressed
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 …
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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 in public confidence in England given that parcels are the best option in some circumstances. It is important that the sector and Government learns from these failings and ensures that any future offering is consistently up to standard and delivers value for money. The problems with food parcels exacerbated the difficulties for wholesalers caused by short-notice school closures and led to significant losses for a sector that was already struggling.
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Government response AI summary
The government details current free school meal provisions for self-isolating children and existing grant schemes, but does not specifically address how it will learn from past failings in food parcel quality or ensure future offerings consistently meet standards and deliver value for money.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
3
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Accepted
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.
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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.
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Government response AI summary
The government states that schools are now reopened and children can access free meals. For self-isolating children, schools are encouraged to provide food parcels or local vouchers, and the response highlights existing schemes like the Holiday Activities and Food programme and the Covid-19 Winter Grant …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
4
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Accepted
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 …
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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 and not suppliers.
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Government response AI summary
The government affirms its continued "recipient-first approach" for supporting the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable, citing priority access to supermarket delivery slots and regulations to ensure recipient needs are prioritized over retailer interests.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
5
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Accepted
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 …
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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 the needs of the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV), elderly and disabled people. For example, by lowering minimum spends and removing delivery charges for CEV customers. However, a disproportionate number of people with disabilities are digitally excluded through not having access to the necessary equipment or skills. However, if the Government is directing custom towards supermarkets, it should be publicly asking them to accommodate the needs of the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV), elderly and disabled people. For example, by lowering minimum spends and removing delivery charges for CEV customers. However, a disproportionate number of people with disabilities are digitally excluded through not having access to the necessary equipment or skills. Therefore, whilst recognising the good work of the charitable sector, the Government must ensure that local authorities are properly resourced, and that retailers recognise their responsibility, to assist those who are digitally excluded in making food orders for delivery. (Paragraph 23) 24 Covid-19 and the issues of security in food supply
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Government response AI summary
The government confirms ongoing conversations with supermarkets to convey concerns about delivery charges and accessibility for vulnerable groups. It also highlights local authorities' efforts, supported by government, to assist digitally excluded residents with food orders and emphasizes retailers' duties under the Equality Act.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
6
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Accepted
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 …
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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 made to ensure that disabled people are not disproportionally hampered by additional in-store covid-19 measures. Where reasonable adjustments are not made the law should be properly enforced.
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Government response AI summary
The government reaffirms that all food retailers must comply with the law and make reasonable adjustments for disabled customers, and states Defra is actively promoting EHRC guidance and working with the EHRC and British Retail Consortium to address accessibility concerns.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
7
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Accepted in Part
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 …
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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 Agriculture Act due by the end of this year must contain up-to-date data on the scale of food insecurity, as well as the make-up of households that have food insecurity (for example, data that is broken down into age groups to assess the prevalence of food insecurity in households that contain children). We welcome the Government’s decision to reduce the maximum gap between these reports to three years from five. However, as the Minister said, there is nothing stopping it producing more regular reports. The food security report under the Agriculture Act due by the end of this year must contain up-to-date data on the scale of food insecurity, as well as the make-up of households that have food insecurity (for example, data that is broken down into age groups to assess the prevalence of food insecurity in households that contain children). We welcome the Government’s decision to reduce the maximum gap between these reports to three years from five. However, as the Minister said, there is nothing stopping it producing more regular reports. It should use that flexibility to produce annual reports, at least for the next few years while we understand the impact of the pandemic and also the impact of Brexit and other changes to the UK’s trading relationships.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees to include up-to-date data on food insecurity, including household make-up, in the 2021 Agriculture Act report. However, it rejects producing annual reports, stating that annual food security statistics will be published instead due to the slow-moving nature of many trends.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
8
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Rejected
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 …
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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 to support vulnerable people’s access to food during the pandemic, giving a sense of what would be possible if the issue was prioritised in normal times. Therefore, we reiterate our previous recommendations that a Minister for Food Security is created to maintain this momentum after the pandemic. This Minister needs to be supported by robust cross-Government structures to ensure that all interested departments prioritise the issue of food insecurity.
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Government response AI summary
The government highlights how departments collaborated through a temporary Ministerial Taskforce during the pandemic but does not commit to creating a permanent Minister for Food Security. It also references existing international obligations and the lack of a requirement to incorporate the right to food into …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
9
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Deferred
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 …
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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 as part of its White Paper following the publication of the National Food Strategy. We appreciate that the right to daily nutritious food as part of a national food strategy will need to consider the need for people to have food security along with other essential needs.
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Government response AI summary
The government highlights its commitment to addressing food insecurity and mentions upcoming considerations from the National Food Strategy's final report and subsequent White Paper. However, it does not specifically commit to consulting on the implementation of a "right to food" as part of that process.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
10
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Rejected
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 …
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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 can continue to redistribute surplus food from the farmgate and across the supply chain to frontline food aid providers. (Paragraph 36) The Food supply chain
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Government response AI summary
The government highlights past funding for food redistribution, including grants totalling over £11 million since 2018. However, it explicitly states there are no current plans or allocated funds for further ongoing grant opportunities, effectively rejecting the recommendation for continued funding.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
11
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Accepted
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 …
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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 will be particularly vulnerable as the economy starts to re-open. Both hospitality providers, and many public sector organisations, are reliant on them. The Government’s support to hospitality businesses will be wasted if their supply chain collapses. We therefore recommend that the Government urgently assesses the impact of the closures to the hospitality sector on its suppliers, especially small businesses, and provides additional financial support to them during the period of reopening.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the impact on suppliers and commits to ongoing engagement and monitoring through existing forums. It highlights the new £1.5 billion Business Rates relief fund, for which wholesalers and other suppliers are eligible, providing additional financial support as recommended.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
12
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Covid-19 and the issue…
Accepted in Part
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 …
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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 the pandemic. The Government should also proactively seek to reverse the loss of market share by small retailers and the hospitality sector; and to encourage greater market access for locally produced foods. It should also help facilitate digital support for local businesses. (Paragraph 51) 26 Covid-19 and the issues of security in food supply
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Government response AI summary
The government states that the CMA has been monitoring competition issues since March 2020 and outlines existing efforts to promote British food and build demand for local produce. For digital support, it accepts the recommendation by detailing the 'Help to Grow: Digital' scheme, which provides …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs