Food insecurity

Early day motion 1251, tabled 7 December 2020 by Ian Byrne (Labour). Signed by 59 members.

That this House notes that approximately 10 million people in the UK are experiencing food insecurity; further notes that the use of food banks was increasing before the covid-19 pandemic, has effectively doubled during the pandemic and all indications are that this situation will continue to get worse; is concerned that children in particular have been badly affected by the covid-19 crisis and that, according to Trussell Trust figures, the number of food parcels given to children rose by 52 per cent; acknowledges the profound and devastating consequences of food insecurity on the health, wellbeing and livelihoods of people in our communities; believes that the Government has a duty to ensure nobody in our communities goes hungry and that the “Right to Food” should be enshrined in UK law in order to make clear this obligation; and calls on the Government to set positive targets and monitor progress accordingly and include the “Right to Food” in the Government’s National Food Strategy white paper which is due to be published in 2021.

Signatures by party: Labour 38, Scottish National Party 6, Independent 4, Labour/Co-operative 3, Plaid Cymru 3, Liberal Democrat 2, DUP 1, Green 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.