Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the national plan for delivering food assistance is; what steps he will take to support local community food initiatives; and what role local authorities will have in ensuring the supply of food assistance.
My Department continues to work with local authorities to develop appropriate measures that ensure those most vulnerable have access to food and drink throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.
This Government is implementing a system to support those whose underlying health conditions mean they are at higher clinical risk for COVID-19, and are therefore being asked to self-isolate
The system will enable the delivery of groceries and medicine to this group, if they do not have alternative means of accessing these in place. Deliveries of food and essential household items will be delivered to the doorstep.
Local authorities will be a key delivery agency, working closely with at-risk individuals, central Government, food industry partners and the voluntary and community sector to ensure the system operates effectively.