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 help ensure that patients at hospitals can access information as to how the meat they are served in hospital meals is slaughtered.

This is a matter for local National Health Service trusts. The NHS is required to meet the requirements of the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services which require all food served to meet United Kingdom legislative standards for animal welfare or equivalent standards.

The Independent Hospital Food Review, published in October 2020, made recommendations for improving hospital food for patients and an expert panel is now in place to implement these recommendations. This includes 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.