EFRA Committee to scrutinise National Food Strategy

The event, taking place at 2.30pm today (21 September), will involve EFRA quizzing Henry Dimbleby on the 14 recommendations of the National Food Strategy.

MPs will use the session to scrutinise the National Food Strategy and the Government’s response to it. EFRA will be asking about his recommendations on free school meals eligibility, guarantees for farming payments to 2029 and reforming how schools and hospitals buy food.

The National Food Strategy made 14 recommendations, including:

• Introduce a Sugar and Salt Reformulation Tax
• Introduce mandatory reporting for large food companies
• Launch a new “Eat and Learn” initiative for schools
• Extend eligibility for free school meals
• Fund the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years
• Expand the Healthy Start scheme
• Trial a “Community Eatwell” Programme, supporting those on low incomes to improve their diets
• Guarantee the budget for agricultural payments until at least 2029 to help farmers transition to more sustainable land use
• Create a Rural Land Use Framework based on the three compartment model
• Define minimum standards for trade, and a mechanism for protecting them
• Invest £1bn in innovation to create a better food system
• Create a National Food System Data programme
• Strengthen Government procurement rules to ensure that taxpayer money is spent on healthy and sustainable food
• Set clear targets and bring in legislation for long-term change

The session can be watched on Parliament TV.