Select committee: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Conclusion 5
Seventh Report - Food security
Published 28 Jul 2023
Paragraph 18
Addressed to Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Food Security All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The final report of the National Food Strategy independent review (NFSIR) offered not only a detailed and considered analysis of the challenges facing our food system, including food security, but also put forward achievable actions. In contrast, the Government Food Strategy (GFS) has fallen short. It is not, as the Food Minister acknowledged, a direct response to the NFSIR as the Government originally proposed in 2019. It is perplexing that given the Government “broadly” accepted the NFSIR’s analysis, it did not accept more of its recommendations. The failure to publish a response to each recommendation—despite such an analysis existing within Whitehall—has hindered transparency.
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Seventh Report - Food security (HC 622), paragraph 18, 28 July 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 17 November 2023 (deadline 28 September 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it "takes all aspects of food security very seriously" but, across the report's recommendations, mostly points to existing measures and gives few new commitments, with some proposals declined or not planned.
- On an annual UK Food Security Report, it says "We do not have plans to make the UKFSR an annual publication" and that the next report will be published by December 2024.
- On the Cabinet Office review of food policy structures, it "agrees with the need for policy coherence and for strong leadership", but points to existing cross-Whitehall structures rather than committing to a review.
- On free school meals, it says it does "not have plans to change the current eligibility conditions" but "will continue to keep eligibility under review"; on a sugar and salt tax, it does not consider "now is the right time".
- On the Shropshire labour review, it is "currently considering the recommendations and intend[s] to publish a response before the end of the year".