Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the role of local authorities in addressing food poverty in localities.

The Department for Work and Pensions lead cross-government action on tackling poverty, including with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and other departments specifically on food poverty. Officials have been working closely with DEFRA and other departments to deliver a number of key cross-cutting outcomes, including addressing poverty through enabling progression into work and increasing financial resilience.