Rupert Lowe MP: written questions

1189 published records · newest first.

Written questions

Hospitals: FoodDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65621More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether planned updates to hospital food standards will include a requirement to prioritise British sourcing.
Answer: All National Health Service trusts are expected to follow NHS England’s guidance, National standards for healthcare food and drink, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-standards-for-healthcare-food-and-dr...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Food: Public SectorDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65620More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available for public sector caterers that would like to organise farm visits to help improve local food supply relationships.
Answer: We are currently considering the policy options available to deliver further on our ambitions for public sector catering, including the potential benefits of developing stronger ties between food producers, caterers, and end consumers.
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Food: Local GovernmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65619More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he takes steps to encourage local authorities to support local producers through food contracts for (a) care homes and (b) civic buildings.
Answer: We recognise the potential benefits of developing stronger ties between local authorities and food producers and support efforts from all parties in strengthening relationships across the supply chains, including into (a) care homes and (b) civic building...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Hospitals: FoodDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65618More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the NHS on increasing procurement from British food producers in its supply chain.
Answer: All National Health Service trusts are expected to follow NHS England’s guidance, National standards for healthcare food and drink, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-standards-for-healthcare-food-and-dr...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Food: Local GovernmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65617More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has considered providing fiscal incentives to local authorities that prioritise British food in their catering contracts.
Answer: The Government is open to considering all lawful means of achieving its ambition that half of all food purchased across the public sector should be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards. We have already published a new national p...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Prisons: FoodMinistry of JusticeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65616More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of food served in prisons is sourced from British farms; and what plans she has to encourage more prisons to buy British produce.
Answer: As at May 2025, 56.1% of food products sourced via the prisoner food contract and served in prisons is of British origin, however we do not hold a figure for farms specifically.The sourcing of products is managed through commercial food contracts which ar...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Catering: Public SectorDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65615More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the (a) number of food miles and (b) level of carbon emissions generated through catering provided by the public sector in the most recent period for whi
Answer: The Government is currently considering policy options, including how best to demonstrate the beneficial impacts of the new national procurement policy statement, which sets out expectations for Government contracts to favour products certified to high en...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Hospitals: FoodDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65614More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of sourcing British food for hospitals on levels of (a) hospital food quality and (b) patient recovery.
Answer: All National Health Service trusts are expected to follow NHS England’s guidance, National standards for healthcare food and drink, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-standards-for-healthcare-food-and-dr...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Schools: FoodDepartment for EducationTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65612More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support schools to source (a) fresh and (b) seasonal food produced in the UK.
Answer: The department is acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the school food standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance. We are currently engaging with stakeholders on the school food standards to help us under...
Answered 17 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Armed Forces: FoodMinistry of DefenceTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65611More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of food served in military catering contracts was sourced from the UK, in the latest period for which data is available.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 March 2025 to Question 36360 to the hon. Member for South Holland and the Deepings (Sir John Hayes MP).
Answered 14 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Public Sector: FoodCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65610More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Departments are required to report on the origin of food purchased through public procurement contracts.
Answer: Departments are not currently required to report on the origin of food served in their canteens. In January the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced that the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs would be und...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Hospitals: FoodDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65609More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of food served in NHS hospitals was sourced from British farms in the latest period for which data is available; and what steps he is taking to encourage NHS hospitals to buy food s
Answer: All National Health Service trusts are expected to follow NHS England’s guidance, National standards for healthcare food and drink, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-standards-for-healthcare-food-and-dr...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
School MealsDepartment for EducationTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65608More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to amend the guidance entitled School food standards practical guide, published on 13 February 2025, to encourage schools to buy British produce.
Answer: The department is acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the school food standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance. We are currently engaging with stakeholders on the school food standards to help us under...
Answered 17 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
Food: Public SectorDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the proportion of British-grown food procured by the public sector.
Answer: The Government is open to considering all lawful means of achieving its ambition that half of all food purchased across the public sector should be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards. The new national procurement policy statem...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record

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