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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions has he had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that local authorities have adequate resources to tackle food poverty.

Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have been working together closely on issues relating to food accessibility and affordability. Local authorities and their local partners have worked extremely hard to help people with urgent needs. They are best placed to understand and respond to the needs of their communities. The Government has agreed to provide £1.6 billion of additional funding to local authorities to help them to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, including supporting those who need help to access food. The Government is also supporting local authorities in identifying at-risk groups, signposting and matching needs to services, engaging volunteers and supporting the voluntary and community sector.

In direct response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Department for Work and Pensions has increased Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by over £1,000 a year for this financial year, benefiting over 4 million households, and increased Local Housing Allowance rates - putting an average of £600 into people's pockets. Taken together, these measures provide over £6.5 billion of additional support through the welfare system for people affected by Covid-19.

The Government has also announced further support of up to £16 million to provide food for those who are struggling as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. The programme will provide millions of meals over the next 12 weeks and be delivered through charities including FareShare and the Waste and Resources Action Programme. At least 5,000 frontline charities in England will benefit, including refuges, homeless shelters and rehabilitation services. It will cover rural areas as well as cities, targeting those who are struggling to get food.