Question reference: S5W-35596
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 1 March 2021
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Current status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 March 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Ministerial Working Group on Food will provide an update on the Statement of Policy on Food, and how it will ensure the maximum level of stakeholder engagement in the development and implementation of a national food policy.
Answer
The Ministerial Working Group met in October 2020 to discuss the development of the non-statutory statement of policy on food. Work on the statement is in the initial stages and has been delayed by Covid-19 and Brexit resourcing issues. Further updates will be provided once this work has been progressed further.
The views of stakeholders are an important part of the development of any government policy and officials have spoken to Defra about the stakeholder engagement process that formed part of the National Food Strategy work and which will help inform the approach taken to develop the statement of policy on food by the Scottish Government.