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Written Question
Food: Marketing
Wednesday 26th May 2021

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

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 to help promote UK food at home and abroad.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The Government is stepping up delivery of its manifesto commitment to build demand and promote British food and drink both home and abroad.

We are working with the sector to raise domestic and international awareness of the UK’s growing reputation for high-quality food and drink produced to high standards of food safety, animal welfare and sustainability. This will provide a catalyst for growth for all regions of the UK and increase global recognition of the UK as an innovative food nation.

We are supporting the UK’s farmers and growers to increase domestic production through the Agriculture Act 2020, which offers financial assistance for producers who are starting to grow fruit and vegetables or are seeking to improve their productivity.

By showcasing the UK’s excellent food and drink, we will encourage consumers to explore more of our local and regional products, including iconic geographical indications (GIs), such as Welsh lamb and Cornish clotted cream.

We are refreshing public sector food procurement to place a greater emphasis on local, seasonal and sustainable produce. This will support local business and can play a key role in promoting healthy diets and reducing environmental impacts of food supply. A consultation on strengthening the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF) will be launched later this year.

We have supported the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Seafish and other organisations as they develop consumer-facing marketing campaigns for the meat, dairy and seafood sectors. One example was our support for a campaign by VegPower that encouraged the public to buy local, seasonal vegetables. Additionally, we supported the Seafish ‘Love Seafood’ campaign to raise consumer awareness of fresh seafood caught in UK waters and connecting communities with local producers.

To support this range of domestic promotion initiatives we are also providing food and drink companies with advice and tools to build export capability. The Department for International Trade (DIT) recently launched their Open Doors campaign with a focus on the food and drink sector. This provides companies with access to online tutorials, webinars, mentoring and specialist advice to help them capitalise on export opportunities across the world.

Defra works in tandem with the Department for International Trade to deliver the Food is GREAT campaign, which helps businesses to succeed in overseas markets by building global recognition of UK excellence in food and drink. Food is GREAT is a key element of the joint Defra and DIT agri-food ‘bounce back’ package of trade support and promotion measures announced last June to help support businesses that have been impacted by coronavirus.

The Food is GREAT campaign is focused on priority markets, including the USA, China, Japan and the UAE. Activity is being planned across all priority markets for the coming year, where we will work with UK businesses and UK overseas posts to promote the best of UK food and drink on the international stage.


Written Question
Meat: Coronavirus
Friday 17th July 2020

Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of the outbreak of COVID-19 at meat processing plants; and what measures they plan to take (1) to address such outbreaks, and (2) to prevent any such recurrence. [T]

Answered by Lord Bethell

Public Health England (PHE) local health protection teams respond to notifications of suspected outbreaks in food processing plants by undertaking a risk assessment, providing public health advice, including on infection prevention and control and social distancing measures, and advising on the testing of employees. In doing so, an assessment is made as to whether transmission may be occurring in or outside the workplace.

An enhanced outbreak investigation protocol has been developed which will allow PHE to further understand the factors relating to infection transmission in meat-related food production settings to ascertain potential routes of transmission: within the workplace through a more detailed understanding of the workforce, the working environment and working practices; staff and environmental biological sampling; factors outside the workplace, such as transport arrangements, housing, employment conditions.

The learning from such investigations can identify measures that may help prevent outbreaks from occurring in these settings.


Written Question
Meat: Coronavirus
Tuesday 14th July 2020

Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, what discussions the Government has had with representatives of the meat industry on safety in that sector; for what reasons there is a heightened risk to workers in the meat industry of covid-19; and what steps the Government is taking to protect workers in that sector.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has convened a cross-Government taskforce, and all partners are working collaboratively in that group.

The Health and Safety Executive, who are also a member of the Taskforce, are responsible for the health and safety of workers.


Written Question
Meat: Coronavirus
Monday 13th July 2020

Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the level of safety in the meat industry; what the evidential basis is for the Government's policy on the risk of covid-19 infection among workers in the meat industry; and what steps he is taking to protect those workers from that risk.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has convened a cross-Government taskforce, and all partners are working collaboratively in that group.

The Health and Safety Executive - who are also a member of the Taskforce are responsible for the health and safety of workers.


Written Question
Meat: Coronavirus
Monday 13th July 2020

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to investigate the reasons for the number of covid-19 outbreaks in abattoirs and other meat processing facilities.

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

Public Health England (PHE) local health protection teams respond to notifications of suspected outbreaks in meat processing plants (including abattoirs) by undertaking a risk assessment, providing public health advice, including on infection prevention and control and social distancing measures, and advising on the testing of employees. In doing so, an assessment is made as to whether transmission may be occurring in or outside the workplace.

An enhanced outbreak investigation protocol has been developed which will allow PHE to further understand the factors relating to infection transmission in meat-related food production and abattoir settings to ascertain potential routes of transmission: within the workplace through a more detailed understanding of the workforce, the working environment and working practices; staff and environmental biological sampling; factors outside the workplace, such as transport arrangements, housing, employment conditions.


Written Question
Meat: Coronavirus
Thursday 9th July 2020

Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what impact assessment on workers in the meat industry the Government undertook of the effects of reducing the two metre social distancing rule.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has convened a cross-Government taskforce, and all partners are working collaboratively in that group.

The Health and Safety Executive - who are also a member of the Taskforce are responsible for the health and safety of workers.


Written Question
Meat: Coronavirus
Tuesday 19th May 2020

Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to reduce the spread of covid-19 in meat packing businesses.

Answered by Paul Scully

On 11 May, we published guidance for businesses to help ensure workplaces are as safe as possible. This guidance covered a range of work environments including in factories, plants and warehouse which covers meat packing businesses and can be found at www.gov.uk/workingsafely.

The published guidance sets out how businesses should carry out risk assessments and gives suggestions for practical steps they can consider to mitigate the risks identified related to COVID-19, including how to reduce the spread of the disease.

If staff are concerned that an employer is not taking all practical steps to promote social distancing then they can report this to their local authority or the Health and Safety Executive who can take a range of action to improve control of workplace risks.

These actions include the provision of specific advice to employers through to issuing enforcement notices to help secure improvements with the guidance.


Written Question
Agricultural Products: Coronavirus
Wednesday 13th May 2020

Asked by: Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage UK consumers to support UK farmers by buying their meat, dairy and vegetable products during the current COVID-19 crisis.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Half of the food that the UK population consumes is home-grown, once we take account of food production that is exported, and is renowned for its quality and high standards of food safety, traceability, animal welfare and sustainability. We will always champion our farmers and producers; supporting them to grow more of our great British food, and to provide a reliable and sustainable food supply to the British public.

The Government is aware that coronavirus represents a very significant challenge, affecting daily life and farming businesses up and down the country. We are supporting British farmers and the UK food and drink industry through this crisis and beyond.

We are working closely with the sector as they develop consumer-facing marketing campaigns. Specifically, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Dairy UK are launching a £1 million campaign, supported financially by Defra and devolved government partners, to encourage consumers to reconnect with milk.

Separately, Quality Meat Scotland, AHDB and Meat Promotion Wales have launched a £1.2 million ‘Make It beef’ campaign, aimed at showing consumers how they can recreate easy to cook restaurant-style meals with high-quality cuts, like steak.

We will continue to engage with and support similar initiatives that highlight the qualities of British meat, dairy, and vegetable products.