Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the use of food banks by former service personnel who were medically-discharged in the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not collect or hold information on the use of food banks by either current military or civilian personnel, or by Armed Forces veterans. Any decision to use a food bank is a private and personal matter for the individual concerned.
To support those leaving Service, including those medically discharged, the MOD provides points of contact for veterans who are facing challenges when transitioning back into civilian life. The Defence Holistic Transition Policy was introduced to support a whole range of life-changing issues, which affect both the Service Person and their immediate family upon leaving the Services. This could include help with life's basic needs such as registering with a doctor or a dentist, or it could be much more intensive for those with complex needs (including housing, budgeting, debt, wellbeing, and children's education).
Defence Transition Services (DTS), which is part of the MOD's Veterans UK, was established at the same time as the transition policy to provide information and support for those service leavers and their families who are most likely to face challenges as they leave the Armed Forces and adjust to civilian life: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-and-support-for-service-leavers-and-their-families. DTS will be there as a safety net for up to two years after leaving Service, and self-referrals can be made through the gov.uk website or by contacting Veterans UK direct.
In addition, the Veterans Welfare Service, part of Veterans UK, provides telephone and face to face assistance from four UK welfare centres to veterans in need of support: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/veterans-welfare-service
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the numbers of food banks in schools; and what guidance they have issued to school governors regarding children having access to at least one nutritious meal a day.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government supports the provision of nutritious food in schools to enable pupils to be well nourished, develop healthy eating habits and to concentrate in school. The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 require schools to provide all children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. The regulations restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods.
Governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the standards and should appropriately challenge the head teacher and school leaders to ensure the school is meeting its obligations. Departmental advice and guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standards-for-school-food-in-england, and: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools/allergy-guidance-for-schools.
The provision of free school meals (FSM) to children who are eligible for them is of the utmost importance to this government. The greatest ever proportion of school children, over one third, are now provided with free school meals. Around 2 million pupils are claiming benefits-related FSM. In addition, almost 1.3 million infants are supported through the universal infant free school meal policy. Free meals are also available to disadvantaged young people in further education.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any food banks are operating at UK military bases.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
It is taking time to collate the information. I will write to the right hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the number of serving Armed Forces that have used food banks in the last 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence does not collect or hold information on the use of food banks by either military or civilian personnel. Any decision to use a food bank is a private and personal matter for the individual concerned
Defence recognises that nobody is immune from the recent rises in inflation and the cost of living and is committed to doing what we can to assist Armed Forces personnel where possible, including implementing the independent Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body’s 2022 pay award recommendations in full, a pay uplift of 3.75%; capping subsidised accommodation charge increases to 1%; increasing travel allowances by 7%; no rise in food charges; over 32,000 Service personnel have received a Contribution in Lieu of Council Tax rebate of £150; and families can save around £3,400 per child per year through our wraparound childcare.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has held recent discussions with Chief Constables on police officers (a) facing in-work poverty and (b) making use of food banks.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) considers and makes recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for police officers. The PRRB gathers and invites parties to submit evidence to inform its recommendations. This includes both written and oral evidence from the Government, police employers and police staff associations. It weighs the evidence, considers independent research, and formulates detailed recommendations. The Government values its independent and expert advice.
The Government is very carefully considering the Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award.
This Government is committed to supporting the police workforce. The Police Covenant, established in law in 2022, will ensure police officers and staff are supported. We will continue to work closely with policing partners to identify and address the key priorities for officer and staff health and wellbeing.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of food price inflation on levels of demand for emergency parcels from food banks.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Tackling inflation is this Government’s number one priority. We continue to support households through our £94 billion package, worth £3,300 on average per household this year and last. We are also providing £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England targeted at supporting critical frontline services.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available for people with Parkinson’s disease with (a) gas and electricity bills, (b) food and (c) additional targeted support.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that the rising cost of living has presented additional financial challenges, especially to the most vulnerable members of society such as disabled people and people with long-term health conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
The Government extended energy support by keeping the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) at £2,500 from April through to June, saving the average household an additional £160. This brings the total Government support for energy bills to £1,500 for a typical household since October 2022.
If individuals have extra-costs arising from their Parkinson’s disease, then they may qualify for disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance (AA). If eligible for these benefits as a result of their Parkinson’s disease, individuals may have also been eligible for the two £150 Disability Cost of Living Payments the Government has delivered in 2022 and 2023.
Those in need of further assistance may be able to access additional support through the Household Support Fund (HSF) in England. This allows Local Authorities to provide crisis support to vulnerable households, such as through supermarket vouchers or partnering with food banks. The Government has provided £1bn, including Barnett funding for the Devolved Administrations, to deliver the HSF this financial year.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for health policies of the quality of food provided by foodbanks; and whether he plans to provide vouchers for people using foodbanks to purchase healthy foods.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Department has made no specific assessment and has no current plans to provide vouchers for foodbanks. Through the Healthy Food Schemes the Government provides a nutritional safety net to those families who need it the most. Healthy Start, the Nursery Milk Scheme and the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme together help more than three million children.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of families subject to the two-child benefits cap using foodbanks.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is committed to understanding and addressing poverty which is why we have published official estimates of foodbank use for the first time in March 2023.
National statistics on food bank use for 2021/22 are available here. We aim to publish statistics for 2022/23 in March 2024.
In 2021/22, 20% of individuals in families with three or more children in receipt of UC, or 0.3m people, were living in households where a food bank has been used in the 12 months prior to the interview. For children, this figure is 20% (0.2m children). Not all these families will be subject to the two-child benefit cap.
Since 6 April 2017, families can claim support for up to two children, and there may be further entitlement for other children if they were born before 6 April 2017 or if an exception applies.
DWP is committed to supporting families and helping parents into work. This requires a balanced system that provides strong work incentives and support for those who need it, but that also ensures a sense of fairness to the taxpayer and many working families who do not see their incomes rise when they have more children.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the pilot habitat bank sites.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We are introducing mandatory biodiversity net gain for most new development from November 2023. The policy aims to leave biodiversity in a measurably better state than before the development has commenced. Developers can meet their net gain requirements on-site, off-site or as a last resort by purchasing statutory credits from the Government.
The statutory credit scheme is not seeking to create habitat banks. Habitat banks are where providers in the private sector create or enhance habitat in advance of selling the units to developers. Habitat created or enhanced after 30 January 2020 will be eligible, provided it meets the other requirements for biodiversity net gain units. We want to encourage habitat banking to allow habitat enhancements to be delivered before development takes place.
Revenue from statutory credit sales will be invested by Natural England on behalf of Defra’s Secretary of State in strategic habitat creation and enhancement projects which deliver long-term environmental benefits.
Natural England ran a three-year pilot for credit scheme investment. This ended in March 2023 with five projects being funded through investment readiness. A formal assessment has not been made but initial learnings are being used to design the credit scheme and inform similar schemes within Natural England and Defra.