Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if the Government will commission independent research to assess trends in the number of people (a) signposted and (b) referred to food banks in areas where full service universal credit has been rolled out.

The Department has not carried out any research into trends in the number of people using food banks. The Department for Work and Pensions is currently reviewing research carried out by organisations including the Trussell Trust, to add to our understanding of food bank use.