Written evidence submitted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (COV0002)
Summary of teleconference between the EFRA Committee and the Secretary of State – 24 March 2020
The following is a summary of points discussed during a teleconference between members of the EFRA Committee and the Secretary of State on 24 March 2020 on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food supply and related industries prepared by the committee’s staff. It is not a transcript of the discussion and does not contain direct quotations.
Food Retail and “panic buying”
The Secretary of State provided an update on the current situation and Government actions in response.
The implications of restrictions on bulk purchases for those shopping for multiple other people, for instance a warden in sheltered accommodation, was discussed; as were the operation of the special opening hours for NHS staff and other key workers on Sundays.
Food supplies for the vulnerable, including those “shielding”
The arrangements being led by MHCLG and local authorities to ensure food, and other essentials, were delivered to people being asked to “shield” at home was discussed. It was expected most people would want to use their existing support networks to shop for them, however it was inevitable some would need Government support. The desire to, and difficulty of, meeting individuals’ specific dietary requirements and preferences was explored.
Regarding food banks, the drop-in food donations owing to panic buying and reduction in volunteers owing to self-isolating was highlighted. It was expected that as the pressure on supermarkets eased, the supply of donated food would return, and DCMS was leading a general call for more volunteers to come forward to help during the pandemic.
In some communities, pubs and restaurants were supporting community groups to provide meals to vulnerable people, facilitated by the relaxation of planning laws to allow them to act as takeaways. In urban areas many were teaming up with existing commercial delivery services. This would take some pressure off retailers.
Food supply chain
Labour
The potential to redeploy staff, and other resources, from the hospitality and food service sectors to food retail, distribution and production, and the action the Government was taking to facilitate that, was raised. Some larger restaurant companies could contract staff to retailers to, for instance, expand delivery capacity to homes.
It was confirmed that in England, staff in the whole food supply chain were defined as “key workers” for the purposes of school provision, and this was mirrored in the devolved nations. The supply chain included suppliers of critical inputs e.g. animal feed for agriculture.
DEFRA was having conversations with agricultural and horticulture industries about mitigating the impact of reduced migrant labour flows and sickness. Conversations were also ongoing with DWP about the potential of promoting opportunities for UK workers.
Imports
The situation in other European countries was being monitored by the Government to judge potential impacts on food imports, especially of fresh produce. No issues were being detected. Many key inputs, such as flour, were produced in the UK from domestic supplies and there were several months of supply domestically available.
Cattle and meat
It was confirmed that livestock markets were still happening, but that the industry was taking steps to maintain social distancing. The steps being taken to ensure abattoirs could continue operating were also discussed.
Fishing
The specific challenges faced by the fishing industry, many of whom are self-employed, was highlighted including:
Red Diesel
The potential tightness of the supply of red diesel in some local areas was raised. DEFRA were aware of the concerns raised by some MPs and was discussing with the NFU if there was a wider issue. Speculation around possible Budget announcements may have led to a temporary increase in orders.