Emergency stockpile question provides food for thought

A Green councillor has asked what advice Brighton and Hove City Council has received from the government on creating a food stockpile.

Green councillor Pete West submitted a written question after the government told people to store “a bit of food to keep going” when the National Audit Office warned that the country’s supply chain was at risk.

Spare food could be needed in the event of a cyber attack, because of climate breakdown affecting harvests or if war disrupted the flow of fertiliser or grain.

Councillor West said: “As the government doesn’t maintain a strategic food stockpile, one wonders what people who cannot afford to bunker in the beans will do and what happens when even those that have followed government advice run out.

“What government guidance has the council administration received for creating a city food stockpile and how will it be administered to fairly support those in the city at greatest need?”

Councillor West asked his question after revelations that the government wound up the national food stockpile, which had been in place since the Second World War, in the 1990s.

Labour councillor Jacob Allen, the council’s cabinet member for customer services, said that the council’s response would be “based on practical planning not performative, expensive stockpiling”.

Councillor Allen said: “We are drawing on the significant learning from the covid-19 pandemic when the council worked closely with voluntary and community sector partners to support residents’ access to food.

“Those strong partnerships still exist and lessons learned will be invaluable in shaping our response to any future disruption and ensuring support reaches those most in need.

“In parallel, we continue to seek information and share learning through the Sussex Resilience Forum, working alongside partner organisations as national policy and guidance develops.”