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 his Department’s Greening Government Commitments for 2021-25, how many tonnes of food waste were produced from his Departmental estate in financial year (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23 up to the end of December 2022.

In line with the Greening Government Commitments (GGCs) the Department has committed to measure and report on food waste, for estates with over 50 FTE (full time equivalent staff) and/or over 500m² floor area offering a food service

The requested information for 2021-2022 will be published in the GGCs Annual Report for 2021-2022, due later this year. The data for 1 April 2022 to 31 December 2022 will be published in the Annual Report covering 2022-2023

GGCs annual reporting is delayed due to Covid-19 impacts, but the Government remains committed to reducing the environmental impact of its estate and operations

Established in 2010, the GGCs set out the actions that government will take to improve the environmental impact of the government estate and its operations. They demonstrate how the UK government is leading by example and working to improve the environmental performance of its own estate and operations, in line with the Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) 25 Year Environment Plan commitments to improve the environment within a generation.

Since inception of the GGCs, the Government has halved its greenhouse gas emissions and waste, in addition to making many other efficiencies. Progress against the commitments is published in GGCs annual reports.