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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to publish draft legislation following the production of the Food Strategy White Paper; and if he will make a statement.

The Government Food Strategy set out our plan to transform the food system to ensure it is fit for the future and we are focussed on implementing the plans and policies we announced in the strategy. Recently this has included publishing plans for our Independent Review into Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain, running a call for evidence on methane suppressing feed additives, and completing our consultations on improved reporting of food waste by large food businesses and public sector food and catering policy.

We are confident that most policies in the Food Strategy can be implemented using existing primary powers. We will continue to review the legal powers needed for our policies and will seek new legislation only where needed.