Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency measures her Department has in place to ensure food reserves in the event of a major disruption to food supply chains.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra works with industry and across Government, including with the Cabinet Office to monitor risks to food supply chains. Decisions on capacity of food storage infrastructure are a matter for individual food businesses. Government maintains, regular engagement with industry to support preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department last assessed the resilience of UK food supplies to a simultaneous disruption affecting major food-exporting countries; and what the findings of that assessment were.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. The UK Food Security Report 2024 shows that climate and geopolitical volatility have weakened aspects of food supply stability since 2021, although food availability or the quantity of food available to the UK has been maintained thanks to continued resilience in food production and the global trading system.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the condition and capacity of food storage infrastructure used to support food security.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra works with industry and across Government, including with the Cabinet Office to monitor risks that may arise but decisions on capacity of their food storage infrastructure are for individual food businesses. The Government holds extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what mechanisms her Department has in place to maintain the supply of food to the population in the event of a major disruption to food supply chains, including (a) formal agreements with major retailers and food producers, (b) trigger points for government intervention and (c) contingency logistics and distribution arrangements.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK has a resilient food supply chain. The Food Sector is one of the UK's 13 Critical National Infrastructure sectors. For security and resilience reasons, we do not disclose detailed operational contingency plans. Defra works with industry and across Government, including with the Cabinet Office to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the National Drought Group last reviewed drought preparedness plans; and what the findings were.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The National Drought Group, chaired by the Environment Agency, last met on 18 June 2026 to review drought preparedness and assess water resource conditions. The Group concluded that although drought risk was currently low with most companies reporting adequate water resources, further heatwaves may change this assessment. It was agreed continued monitoring and early preparedness action was required in response to hot, dry weather.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department last assessed the resilience of water supplies in England; and what the findings were.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2024, the Government allowed most water companies to publish their latest water resources management plans. The plans explain how water companies will maintain water security over a 25-year period. In allowing the publication, an assessment of their water needs was made and advice taken from the Environment Agency and Ofwat. The Environment Agency has published a summary of the plans on GOV.UK