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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Food Foundation’s food insecurity data, published on 7 February; in particular, the finding that one million adults reported that they or someone in their household had to go a whole day without eating in the past month because they could not afford or access food; and what steps they intend to take in response to address food insecurity.

In December 2021, the Government published the first UK Food Security Report which included an assessment of household food security. Latest National statistics data from the Department of Work and Pension’s Family Resources Survey published in March 2021, shows that 92% of households were food secure. The Family Resources Survey is a continuous household survey which collects information on a representative sample of houses in the UK and has a large sample of 20,000 households. We continue to monitor all key indicators and engage with independent surveys including the Food Foundation on an ongoing basis. We are committed to continue to report on this in future food security reports.

Tackling poverty in all forms is a key priority for this Government. We know people are facing pressures with the increasing cost of living and recognise that some need extra support with essentials like food shopping and other day-to-day costs. We are taking action worth £12 billion to help them, including through the Household Support Fund to support low-income households in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials this winter.