Fresh Food Supplies

Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition (in respect of his European Transition responsibilities) – in the Senedd at 3:05 pm on 7 October 2020.

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Photo of Jeremy Miles Jeremy Miles Labour 3:05, 7 October 2020

I thank the Member for that important supplementary. Let me be very clear at the start: aspects of food supply are devolved, but the question of food crossing the border into the UK is obviously fundamental to supply, and that is entirely the responsibility of the UK Government, and any restrictions on supply will be a matter of the outcome of choices made by the UK Government.

Now, I share her concern in relation to what we read in the meeting notes yesterday. I had a meeting yesterday with the UK Government in relation to food supply and impressed upon them the need for joint working in relation to this area. So, the context in which the material was in the public domain was very disturbing to us. What we are doing in Wales is making sure that we are speaking to the supermarkets in Wales to make sure that we understand their logistical arrangements, to understand that there will be an equity of distribution in relation to food produce coming into the UK. I have made the point very forcibly that—and the environment Minister, by the way, makes these points as well—there is a risk in terms of food prices next year increasing, and that at a time when people are suffering, in terms of their livelihoods, from COVID and the choices made by the UK Government to discontinue the enhancement to universal credit.

So, these are potentially very significant challenges for the most vulnerable people. Even if the overall supply of food isn't affected, the cost of it for people in those income groups could be—the effect of that could be very significant. We will continue to do all we can to make sure that we get those assurances about equity of distribution, but the question of supply into the UK is one that necessarily we need to work with the UK Government on.