A House of Commons debate looking at food poverty in the UK and how it is affecting children across the country is being held today.

The debate will discuss the Children’s Future Food Inquiry report, which offers insight into school food shortages, hunger and food poverty experienced by children in the UK.

The inquiry has prepared a briefing paper for anyone interested in learning more about the issues ahead of the debate which starts at 9.30am.

The report collected evidence through workshops with around 400 children; an academic review of child food insecurity; polling young people; evidence submissions from people working with children; a UK-wide policy review; and secondary analysis of Government data on the affordability of a healthy diet.

The report was launched on 25 April 2019 by the Inquiry’s Ambassador, Dame Emma Thompson and the Inquiry’s young Food Ambassadors, and makes the following recommendations:

• Expanding free school meals;
• Expanding voucher schemes and other policies to enable healthy eating
• The creation of a Children’s Food Watchdog;
• Addressing the marketing of unhealthy foods); and
• Additional recommendations regarding free school meals including renaming it as a “school meal allowance to remove the stigma attached to free school meals

You can watch the debate online here.