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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the 2022 UK Government Resilience Framework and the Cabinet Office’s 2026 National Capabilities Assessment, what steps the Department is taking to support the (a) capability and (b) capacity of local resilience forums to respond to food supply chain shocks.

Defra works across Government including the Cabinet Office, other Government Departments and Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) to ensure food supply is fully incorporated as part of emergency preparedness.

LRFs play a vital role in preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies, including incidents that may affect food supply chains. The Government supports LRF capability through national guidance, exercising, assurance and preparedness programmes, including the Local Capabilities Assessment process, which helps identify strengths and areas for improvement across England.