To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with supermarket retailers on ensuring that loose, packaged and multi-pack fresh fruit and vegetable products are displayed with comparable price-per-kilogram information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with supermarket retailers on ensuring that loose, packaged and multi-pack fresh fruit and vegetable products are displayed with comparable price-per-kilogram information.

Motion to consider. Agreed to on question.

Motion to consider. Agreed to on question.

Food Security and Cosmetically Imperfect Food

I present this petition on food security following the extreme summer heat that has left tonnes of safe, nutritious but cosmetically imperfect produce rejected at the farm gate, deepening import reliance and showing the urgent need for a good food Bill.

“The petitioners therefore request that...

Food Security and Cosmetically Imperfect Food

I present this petition on food security following the extreme summer heat that has left tonnes of safe, nutritious but cosmetically imperfect produce rejected at the farm gate, deepening import reliance and showing the urgent need for a good food Bill.

“The petitioners therefore request that...

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the volume of plastic packaging produced for uncut (a) fruit and (b) vegetables where data is available in the past year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the volume of plastic packaging produced for uncut (a) fruit and (b) vegetables where data is available in the past year.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to increase the general public’s daily intake of fruit and vegetables, and to increase the proportion of those foods that are grown in the UK.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to increase the general public’s daily intake of fruit and vegetables, and to increase the proportion of those foods that are grown in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of British grown cauliflower and other brassicas in spring 2026.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of British grown cauliflower and other brassicas in spring 2026.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to increase production of domestic fruit, vegetables, pulses and legumes to strengthen the UK’s food security, in light of the findings of the National Security Assessment on Global Ecosystems report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to increase production of domestic fruit, vegetables, pulses and legumes to strengthen the UK’s food security, in light of the findings of the National Security Assessment on Global Ecosystems report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce reliance on imported fruit and vegetables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce reliance on imported fruit and vegetables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to increase domestic fruit and vegetable production to improve food security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to increase domestic fruit and vegetable production to improve food security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to reduce the cost of groceries by reducing tariffs on fruit and vegetables not (a) grown and (b) processed in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to reduce the cost of groceries by reducing tariffs on fruit and vegetables not (a) grown and (b) processed in the UK.

Motion that this House has considered inequality of access to fresh and nutritious food. Agreed to on question.

Motion that this House has considered inequality of access to fresh and nutritious food. Agreed to on question.

I beg to move,

That this House has considered inequality of access to fresh and nutritious food.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Mundell, and I thank the Minister for being here today. Castlemilk is a proud and resilient community, built in the ashes of the second world...

I beg to move,

That this House has considered inequality of access to fresh and nutritious food.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Mundell, and I thank the Minister for being here today. Castlemilk is a proud and resilient community, built in the ashes of the second world...

I am sorry to hear the story that is unfolding in the hon. Gentleman’s speech. In the area he is referring to, which I do not know, are there church groups or people of faith—whatever faith that might be—who would be willing to help? Has he been able to ascertain...

I am sorry to hear the story that is unfolding in the hon. Gentleman’s speech. In the area he is referring to, which I do not know, are there church groups or people of faith—whatever faith that might be—who would be willing to help? Has he been able to ascertain...

There are many community groups in Castlemilk that are helping, including faith groups, and I will come to that later in my speech.

There is no supermarket, but there is an Iceland and a B&M and there are countless off-licences. If someone wants a bottle of vodka or a frozen pizza,...

There are many community groups in Castlemilk that are helping, including faith groups, and I will come to that later in my speech.

There is no supermarket, but there is an Iceland and a B&M and there are countless off-licences. If someone wants a bottle of vodka or a frozen pizza,...

Does my hon. Friend agree that community gardens, such as the Whitburn community garden, which provides fresh fruit and vegetables to the local community fridge, as well as West Lothian food bank’s garden, can sometimes be the only way some people are able to access nutritious, fresh food?

Does my hon. Friend agree that community gardens, such as the Whitburn community garden, which provides fresh fruit and vegetables to the local community fridge, as well as West Lothian food bank’s garden, can sometimes be the only way some people are able to access nutritious, fresh food?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I am pleased to hear about those organisations in West Lothian. There are many similar ones in Castlemilk, and I will talk about that in a bit. But it is key that communities are not reliant on charity for access to fresh food—that is...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I am pleased to hear about those organisations in West Lothian. There are many similar ones in Castlemilk, and I will talk about that in a bit. But it is key that communities are not reliant on charity for access to fresh food—that is...

My hon. Friend is making a really passionate speech and is clearly a strong advocate for his local community. In my local community, we have areas that are very much isolated, in the way he describes. I pay tribute to the Uttlesford mobile food bank, but he is right to...

My hon. Friend is making a really passionate speech and is clearly a strong advocate for his local community. In my local community, we have areas that are very much isolated, in the way he describes. I pay tribute to the Uttlesford mobile food bank, but he is right to...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Community ownership and co-operatives are an important part of how we fix a lot of problems in this country, not least this one.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Community ownership and co-operatives are an important part of how we fix a lot of problems in this country, not least this one.

I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this debate to the House, and he is being very generous with his interventions. He mentioned co-ops, so I want to mention Cooperation Town in my constituency. It distributes two tonnes of food to our community every week, and local members save up...

I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this debate to the House, and he is being very generous with his interventions. He mentioned co-ops, so I want to mention Cooperation Town in my constituency. It distributes two tonnes of food to our community every week, and local members save up...