Select Committee · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Food Security

Status: Closed Opened: 25 Jul 2022 Closed: 17 Nov 2023 15 recommendations 8 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry is looking at the pressures facing the UK food supply chain and its implication of UK food security and public access to access healthy and nutritious food. You can read the terms of reference for this inquiry here . Our call for evidence ended on 30 September 2022

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Seventh Report - Food security HC 622 28 Jul 2023 23 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
2 Conclusion Seventh Report - Food security Rejected

UK Food Security Report is vital but outdated; Government refuses annual publication.

The UK Food Security Report (UKFSR) is a vital document to provide transparency about whether the UK will achieve each of the five elements of food security the Government is required to report on, and the associated risks to them. The analysis within the UKFSR should be central to steering …

Government response. The government rejects the recommendation to publish an annual UK Food Security Report (UKFSR), stating that the Agriculture Act 2020 only requires it every three years, many measures are already published annually elsewhere, and the next report will be published …
18 Recommendation Seventh Report - Food security Rejected

Undertake and publish full impact assessment of a sugar and salt reformulation tax

The Government rejected the NFSIR’s proposals to break the junk food cycle, including the sugar and salt reformulation tax proposal. While such a tax may cause consumer prices to rise, it may lead consumers to substitute cheaper healthier Food Security 49 foods into their shopping basket. The Government should undertake …

Government response. The government rejects the recommendation to undertake and publish an impact assessment of a sugar and salt reformulation tax, stating it is not the right time to introduce new taxes that would increase food costs amidst cost-of-living pressures.
21 Recommendation Seventh Report - Food security Rejected

Broaden regulations to ban all HFSS food price promotions and meal deals

We are not convinced that the delay to banning certain volume price promotions for HFSS food will save consumers money, given the Government’s own analysis on this matter. Of less doubt is that it will make the fight against unhealthy eating and obesity even harder. The Government Response should forecast …

Government response. The government rejects the committee's recommendations to forecast obesity rates, broaden HFSS food promotion restrictions, ban certain meal deals, and extend coverage to all food shops, reiterating its decision to delay existing volume price promotion restrictions until October 2025 due …

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
24 Jan 2023 David Kennedy · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Mark Spencer · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs View ↗
13 Dec 2022 Dr Kelly Parsons · MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Emily Hunter · The Woodland Trust, Mark Tufnell · Country Land and Business Association (CLA), Professor Michael Winter, University of Exeter, Centre for Rural Policy Research, Professor Tim Lang · City University London's Centre for Food Policy View ↗
22 Nov 2022 Anna Taylor · The Food Foundation, Lindsay Boswell · FareShare, Maria Marshall · Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN), Professor Michael Fakhri · University of Oregon School of Law View ↗
8 Nov 2022 Andrew Opie · British Retail Consortium (BRC), David Thomson · Food and Drink Federation (FDF), Ed Barker · Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), James Walton · IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution), Minette Batters · National Farmers Union, Will Jackson · Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) View ↗
18 Oct 2022 Henry Dimbleby · Leon Restaurants View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
22 Mar 2023 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries to the Committee regar…