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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of analysis by Kantar that grocery price inflation has risen for three months in a row, and what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact on consumers.

This Government cares deeply about the cost of living and food security; therefore, it closely monitors food prices and the factors impacting them. Defra uses the ONS Consumer Price Index (CPI) to track UK food price inflation. After a period of high inflation experienced during 2022 and 2023, food price inflation (based on ONS CPI data) has been below 2% since May 2024. The latest ONS data available show that annual food price inflation was 1.9% in October 2024, unchanged from September 2024. Kantar’s Grocery Price Inflation uses a different methodology to the ONS CPI index and includes all grocery products including non-food items.

Defra regularly engages with supermarkets and producers on a range of food supply matters. However, it is not for the Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions taken by businesses.