Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle malnutrition among elderly people.

The Government is committed to better screening and prevention of malnutrition. The Malnutrition Task Force have published a series of guides offering expert advice on the prevention of and early intervention for malnutrition in later life. These guides draw together principles of good practice to offer a framework developed to help those in a wide range of health and care settings make the changes needed to counter malnutrition.

Hospitals and care homes must screen people for malnutrition on admission and meet high standards of nutrition care. We have announced a root and branch review of hospital food to ensure that patients receive the right nutrition and hydration.