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.

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.