Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for social policy of (1) the February 2014 report Household Food Security in the UK: A Review of Food Aid; and (2) the 2015 book by Stewart Lansley and Joanna Mack, Breadline Britain.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The “Review of Food Aid in the UK” was a short, literature based study designed to improve understanding of food aid provision in the UK, who makes use of it, and why. It was not a complete assessment of food aid as it found a variety of types of food aid, with mostly community-led provision responding to local needs. The report concluded that there is a lack of systematic peer-reviewed research from the UK on the reasons or immediate circumstances leading people to turn to food aid. Research such as the Review of Food Aid in the UK report and other publications provide evidence that informs the formulation of social policy in the UK.

The Government is committed to tackling poverty and social disadvantage in all its forms in every part of the country. Work remains the most sustainable way out of poverty and means for parents to provide security for their families.