Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of collating official statistics on (a) the number of foodbanks in the UK, (b) dependency on foodbanks, (c) use of foodbanks and (d) foodbank referral causes; and if he will make a statement.

Food banks range from small, local provision, through to national networks. It would not be possible to collect this information without placing unnecessary burdens on volunteers trying to help their communities.