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 ensure hospital patients from the Jewish community are being served fresh Kosher foods that allow a comparable choice at mealtimes, without compromising on the strict dietary laws that they must follow.

The independent review of National Health Service hospital food was published on the 20 October 2020 and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-nhs-hospital-food

It includes recommendations to improve hospital food for patients, staff and visitors, including the religious requirements of patients, visitors and staff. An expert group is being assembled to implement the recommendations of this report, with a sub-group to look at how food is best provided to patients given their medical conditions, personal or cultural preferences and religious requirements. This sub-group will include representatives from religious organisations. While Kosher foods are not mentioned specifically, it is part of wider cultural and diversity work.