Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support food banks and local charities to prevent supermarket food waste in North East Hampshire constituency.

The Government’s Food and Drink Waste Hierarchy prioritises preventing food waste in the first instance. Where surplus food does arise, businesses, including supermarkets, are expected to prioritise the safe and timely redistribution of edible food to people in need. On 13 May, Government reinforced its commitment to supporting those most in need by announcing a new national programme to redistribute surplus food. Defra is driving action through a range of activities, including working across Government and with stakeholders to develop a national endeavour to end avoidable food waste, operating across the entire food supply chain and redistribution sector.