Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of recent food price rises on the ability of lower-income households to eat a balanced diet including five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

The Government monitors consumer food prices using the Consumer Prices Index including Housing costs (CPIH). Food prices are traditionally impacted by a wide range of domestic and international factors – from local manufacturing costs to global commodity prices. Given strong competition in the UK food retail sector, retailers normally try to absorb short term cost pressures for a period of time. In any given year, food prices tend to go up and down. Food prices are set individually by businesses and it is not for the UK Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies.

In December 2021 we published the first UK Food Security Report which included data on household food security and food prices. This found that over the past ten years vegetables have become cheaper in real terms, whilst fruit costs more in real terms compared with ten years ago.

We have put in place measures to support vulnerable and low-income households, including the £500 million Household Support Fund to help with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials over the coming months.