Food Security

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 25 Jul 2022 Closed: 17 Nov 2023 Parliament page
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
15 Recommendations
8 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
1 Letter
5 Events
Activity timeline 13 events
28 Jul
2023
24 Jan
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
13 Dec
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
22 Nov
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
8 Nov
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
David Kennedy · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Rt Hon Mark Spencer · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
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
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Anna Taylor · The Food Foundation Lindsay Boswell · FareShare Maria Marshall · Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) Professor Michael Fakhri · University of Oregon School of Law
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
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)
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Henry Dimbleby · Leon Restaurants
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Seventh Report - Food security HC 622 28 Jul 2023 23 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
2 Conclusion Rejected
Seventh Report - Food security
UK Food Security Report is vital but outdated; Government refuses annual publication.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. … Read more
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 next year.
18 Recommendation Rejected
Seventh Report - Food security
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 … Read more
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 Rejected
Seventh Report - Food security
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 … Read more
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 to cost of living concerns and stating meal deals are excluded.
Government Response AI assessment · 23 of 15 classified

Total 15 recs + 8 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
22 Mar 2023 To committee Letter from the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries to the Committee regarding Food Security, dated 15 March 2023
Parliament page