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Written Question
Food Banks
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had recent discussions with the Trussell Trust on the trends in the level of donations required to meet demand for food banks.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP officials regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders including the Trussell Trust. Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not have any role in their operation.

The next release of the Households Below Average Income statistics, covering the year 2022/23, is due in March 2024. This will include updated national statistics on both food security and food bank use.


Written Question
Food Banks
Monday 29th January 2024

Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)

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 of food banks operating (a) as of 23 January 2024 (b) in 2010.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The latest statistics show that in 2021/22, 7% (4.7m) of all individuals lived in food insecure households. For working age adults this figure was 7% (2.9m), for children it was 12% (1.7m) and for pensioners it was 1% (0.2m).

Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in the operation of foodbanks. We do not have reliable statistics on the number of foodbanks operating.


Written Question
Food Poverty
Monday 29th January 2024

Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people in food poverty.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The latest statistics show that in 2021/22, 7% (4.7m) of all individuals lived in food insecure households. For working age adults this figure was 7% (2.9m), for children it was 12% (1.7m) and for pensioners it was 1% (0.2m).

Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in the operation of foodbanks. We do not have reliable statistics on the number of foodbanks operating.


Written Question
Food Banks
Friday 19th January 2024

Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has taken steps to work with relevant authorities to support foodbanks in (a) general and (b) Romford constituency.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government does not have any role in the operation of foodbanks. Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations which bring people in local communities together to support one another. This is a great example of the generosity of spirit of communities across the country.

The Government is providing over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England to support the impacts of the increase in cost of living. This funding is supporting charities and community organisations right now through the £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund. This fund is awarding funding to frontline organisations supporting vulnerable households, including those which deliver food.

The second strand of the package, the £25.5 million VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, was opened in December 2023. This scheme will support frontline charities, community organisations and social enterprises across England to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.

The scheme has two main components:

  1. Independent Energy Assessment (IEA): This involves arranging an independent energy assessor to help identify energy-saving opportunities.
  2. Capital Grants: Grants can be used to install capital energy efficiency measures, such as improving insulation or installing heat pumps.

Organisations can first apply for an Independent Energy Assessment. Having completed the IEA, they can then apply, if they are eligible, for a capital grant between £2,000 and £150,000 to install capital energy measures. Applications for IEAs opened in December 2023 and applications for capital funding will be open through three rounds, starting from the second half of January 2024. All capital projects will need to be completed by March 2025.

Taken together, total support over 2022/23-2024/25 to help households with the high cost of living amounts to £104 billion – an average of £3,700 per UK household.


Written Question
Food Banks: Finance
Friday 19th January 2024

Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)

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 provide additional financial support to foodbanks in winter 2023-2024.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government does not have any role in the operation of foodbanks. Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations which bring people in local communities together to support one another. This is a great example of the generosity of spirit of communities across the country.

The Government is providing over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England to support the impacts of the increase in cost of living. This funding is supporting charities and community organisations right now through the £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund. This fund is awarding funding to frontline organisations supporting vulnerable households, including those which deliver food.

The second strand of the package, the £25.5 million VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, was opened in December 2023. This scheme will support frontline charities, community organisations and social enterprises across England to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.

The scheme has two main components:

  1. Independent Energy Assessment (IEA): This involves arranging an independent energy assessor to help identify energy-saving opportunities.
  2. Capital Grants: Grants can be used to install capital energy efficiency measures, such as improving insulation or installing heat pumps.

Organisations can first apply for an Independent Energy Assessment. Having completed the IEA, they can then apply, if they are eligible, for a capital grant between £2,000 and £150,000 to install capital energy measures. Applications for IEAs opened in December 2023 and applications for capital funding will be open through three rounds, starting from the second half of January 2024. All capital projects will need to be completed by March 2025.

Taken together, total support over 2022/23-2024/25 to help households with the high cost of living amounts to £104 billion – an average of £3,700 per UK household.


Written Question
Food Banks
Monday 18th December 2023

Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the levels of donations to foodbanks between 2022 and 2023.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government does not have any role in the operation of foodbanks. Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations which bring people in local communities together to support one another. This is a great example of the generosity of spirit of communities across the country.


Written Question
Food Banks
Monday 11th December 2023

Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking increase support for food banks in winter 2023-24.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government does not have any role in the operation of foodbanks. Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations which bring people in local communities together to support one another. This is a great example of the generosity of spirit of communities across the country.

The Government is providing over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England to support the impacts of the increase in cost of living. This funding is supporting charities and community organisations right now through the £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund. This fund has closed for applications and is awarding funding to frontline organisations supporting vulnerable households, including those which deliver food. The second strand of the package, the £25.5 million VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, will provide investment in energy efficiency measures, with more details to be announced in due course.

Taken together, total support over 2022/23-2024/25 to help households with the high cost of living amounts to £104 billion – an average of £3,700 per UK household.


Written Question
Food Banks: Grants
Thursday 30th November 2023

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing direct grants to food banks.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Government does not have any role in their operation.


Written Question
Food Banks: Warwick and Leamington
Thursday 30th November 2023

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Warwick and Leamington constituency used a foodbank in October (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government takes the issue of food security very seriously and is committed to understanding and addressing food poverty which is why we have published official estimates of foodbank use for the first time in March 2023. The latest available National statistics on both food security and food bank use covering 2021/22 are available here. Statistics are not available at the constituency level.

Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and HM Government does not have any role in their operation. As such, data on trends in the distribution of food parcels in the Warwick and Leamington constituency is not available.


Written Question
Food Banks: Warwick and Leamington
Thursday 30th November 2023

Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number of people in work in Warwick and Leamington constituency who use a foodbank once a month or more.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government takes the issue of food security very seriously and is committed to understanding and addressing food poverty which is why we have published official estimates of foodbank use for the first time in March 2023. The latest available National statistics on both food security and food bank use covering 2021/22 are available here. Statistics are not available at the constituency level.

Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and HM Government does not have any role in their operation. As such, data on trends in the distribution of food parcels in the Warwick and Leamington constituency is not available.