Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of sourcing flour for the public sector from certified regenerative farms on achieving Net Zero by 2050.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government is committed to harnessing the purchasing power of the procurement food supply chain to set the tone in delivering our wider ambitions on net zero, sustainability, animal welfare, economic growth and nutrition and health. Over the next year, for the first time ever, the government will review food currently bought in the public sector and where it is bought from. This work will be a significant first step to inform any future changes to public sector food procurement policies.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of prioritizing sourcing flour for the public sector from certified regenerative farms to help achieve Net Zero by 2050.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government is committed to harnessing the purchasing power of the procurement food supply chain to set the tone in delivering our wider ambitions on net zero, sustainability, animal welfare, economic growth and nutrition and health. Over the next year, for the first time ever, the government will review food currently bought in the public sector and where it is bought from. This work will be a significant first step to inform any future changes to public sector food procurement policies.
Asked by: Jess Asato (Labour - Lowestoft)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to screen for malnutrition in (a) children and (b) adults across the country in a consistent manner.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The diagnosis and detection of malnutrition are key, and health staff are trained to spot the early warning signs so that effective individual treatment can be put in place. Tools and guidance are available through a range of organisations for health and social care professionals to identify and treat malnutrition and access appropriate training.
The Healthy Child Programme in England is a universal programme for children aged zero to 19 years old. When there is a concern raised about a child’s growth, either a health visitor or a school nurse will monitor this and assess the child for signs of under or overweight, including as a possible sign of neglect and faltering growth, and will work with families to support them in addressing the family and child’s needs.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline Faltering growth: recognition and management of faltering growth in children, code NG75, for healthcare professionals, providers of children's services, commissioners of children's services, and parents and carers of children with faltering growth covers the recognition, assessment, and monitoring of faltering growth in infants and children. This guideline is available at the following link:
All National Health Services across the country are recommended to adhere to the NICE’s clinical guideline, Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition, code CG32, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32
This sets out the recommendations, based on the best available evidence, for the organisation, screening, and delivery of nutritional support in hospitals and the community. This includes screening for malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition. The NICE guidelines recommend that all hospital inpatients on admission and all outpatients at their first clinic appointment should be screened for malnutrition. Screening should be repeated weekly for inpatients, and when there is clinical concern for outpatients. People in care homes should be screened on admission, and when there is clinical concern.
All people who are identified as being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition should be assessed by an appropriately qualified health professional, such as a dietitian, to receive an individualised care plan in line with their individual circumstances, dietary preferences, and medical needs.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 24872 on Nutrition for Growth Summit, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of making an (a) financial and (b) policy announcement from the UK at the Nutrition for Growth summit.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK remains committed to meeting its existing Nutrition for Growth (N4G) financial commitment of spending £1.5 billion from 2022 to 2030 on nutrition objectives. For the 2025 Nutrition for Growth summit, the UK will champion the integration of improved nutrition outcomes in other sectors, including health, agriculture, humanitarian, and climate, and is considering further policy commitments. On a further financial commitment, Ministers will consider Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for future years as part of the Spending Review, which will conclude in the summer.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 22284 on Development Aid: Nutrition, if he will provide a timeline for (a) reviewing and (b) finalising his Department’s approach to N4G 2025.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK continues to look forward to the 2025 Nutrition for Growth summit. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials continue to work closely with French counterparts to build momentum in the lead up to the summit and will announce plans for events in Paris in due course in collaboration with French organisers. The UK continues to champion the integration of improved nutrition outcomes alongside successes in other sectors including health, agriculture, humanitarian, and climate, and intends to make commitments in March.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what preparations his Department is making for the Nutrition For Growth Summit in Paris in 2025.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The FCDO is looking forward to the 2025 Nutrition for Growth summit. FCDO officials have been working closely with French counterparts to build momentum in the lead up to the summit. The UK continues to champion the integration of improved nutrition outcomes alongside successes in other sectors - health, agriculture, humanitarian, and climate.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) a Minister in his Department plans to attend the Nutrition For Growth Summit in Paris in 2025.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
As Minister for Development I am planning to attend the summit and FCDO officials continue to work with French counterparts to build momentum in the lead up. Formal invitations have yet to be issued.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing funding for the Nutrition for Growth replenishment campaign before the pledging event in Paris in 2025.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK is looking forward to the upcoming 2025 Nutrition for Growth summit and FCDO officials have been working closely with French counterparts to build momentum ahead of the summit. The FCDO has published an assessment of progress with the commitments that the previous government made at the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit in 2021. We will review this as we finalise our approach to N4G 2025. Despite the challenges posed by the current fiscal situation, which the spending review will address, the UK is committed to protecting the world's most vulnerable, including through the use of lifesaving nutrition interventions.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve global food security.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
Improving global food and nutrition security is a priority for this government. Our diplomatic and humanitarian engagement is addressing acute need and famine risks in places like Sudan and Gaza. We support long-term solutions, working with partners to transform food and farming systems, critical for inclusive growth, climate resilience and nature protection. At the G20 Development Ministers Meeting in Brazil in July, I announced the UK would join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty when it launches in November, to increase political support, unlock finance, share and learn, and work with partners to scale-up lasting solutions.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to (a) monitor and (b) manage the standard of food provided by schools.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, academies and free schools. School Governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.
The government’s ambition is to source half of all food served in public sector settings from local producers or from growers certified to meet higher environmental standards, where possible. The government wants to use the purchasing power of the public sector food supply chain to lead the way and to set best practice in delivering our wider ambitions on sustainability, animal welfare, economic growth, nutrition and health. The government has also committed to supporting schools to improve the sustainability of school food. Schools can voluntarily follow the government buying standards, which include advice around sustainable sourcing.
Ministerial teams are working with department officials on plans to deliver the government’s manifesto commitments, including making quick progress to deliver breakfast clubs in every primary school. Our aim is to deliver better life chances for all, through a system which works for all. As part of this, as with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to school food under continued review.