Government Ministers quizzed on the UK’s food supply chain
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee holds the final evidence session of its inquiry into fairness in the food supply chain on Tuesday 21 May at 2.30pm, questioning Government Minister the Rt Hon. Sir Mark Spencer MP.
Kevin Hollinrake MP, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade, will no longer appear before the Committee at this session.
Meeting details
The session will be an opportunity for the Committee to reflect on evidence received throughout the course of the inquiry, which has examined the market power of food producers, manufacturers, and supermarkets, and investigated whether structural relationships could be improved.
At the Farm to Fork Summit earlier this week, the Prime Minister said that the UK needs to reduce its reliance on overseas fruit and vegetables and back British producers. This hearing will be a chance for MPs to question ministers about the resilience of the UK’s food supply chain and the Government’s support for producers against high input costs.
Members are also likely to pose questions to ministers about other recent Government announcements, including the confirmation that the Seasonal Worker visa route would be extended for five years until 2029, and that a Supply Chain Adjudicator will be appointed.
The Committee is also likely to ask about the quality and transparency of information provided to consumers about where their food comes from, asking about the practice of shrinkflation and the rise in supermarkets’ use of so called ‘fake farms’ to market their products.