My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to say a few brief words in support of what I think is the key amendment, Amendment 173. We need a national food plan. We heard very strategic speeches from my noble friend Lord Hain and the noble Lord, Lord Krebs, and other members of his committee, but it has to be a national plan. I say to the Minister that something like this new clause will be in the Bill, and it would be better if it were done with the Government’s agreement.
We in the UK are going to be alone once the transition period has ended, and we need to build our alliances. We can never be self-sufficient: our geography and climate do not allow it, nor does the shape of our country. We will always be food importers. I am in favour, as I have said before, of using as much of our land as possible to grow our own food, and it may not always be land that is open to the sky. It is not a nanny state approach; it requires a national plan. It simply cannot be left to market forces. Market forces have left us with between 2 million and 5 million people without enough food to eat.
Before Covid-19, I think that the general estimate was that about 40% of household meals were eaten outside the home. All that might change, but that 40% is pretty crucial, because the portions are not controlled by those who eat; they are controlled by the food business. As I said in a previous debate—a week ago, I think—portion control science within the food industry is very precise. It is designed to be obesogenic and to make us eat more. Therefore, there is an issue here that has to be dealt with and it is covered in the proposed new clause.
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I want to raise two other issues. One is public procurement, which is easier said than done. I tried it when I went to MAFF in 1997 and it was raised again when I was at Defra in 2006. Defence, prisons, the NHS and schools all have devolved budgets. We are all told by the managers, “You’re responsible for your budget”. Trying to get central public procurement—which, by the way, I thoroughly agree with—is an aim that we should have now as part of a national plan, but it is a lot easier said than done.
My final point concerns the crucial issue contained in subsection (2)(c) of the proposed new clause: amending requirements for food labelling to include the country of origin and method of production, particularly for animal-based foods. That is fundamental to preserving the UK system and I think that it will be fundamental for the public. The idea that we could start importing foods from a country with which we have done a trade deal that are not labelled with the country of origin is, frankly, outrageous, and I do not think that Parliament would allow it.