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Food Poverty

Asked by Ian ByrneLabourDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 5 March 2026UIN 116895

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has undertaken an assessment of the potential implications of formally recognising the right to food in domestic law for the design and evaluation of food policy across Government.

Answered by Dame Angela Eagle

Defra has not undertaken an assessment. The right to food is not codified in UK domestic law, but the UK continues to recognise economic, social and cultural rights as defined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Government remains committed to fulfilling our obligations under the Covenant.

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