Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy has said next year must be the year Scotland enshrines a statutory Right to Food in law, as figures show food bank use soaring in Glasgow. The Trussell Trust’s mid-year statistics show that the number of food parcels handed out in Glasgow has increased by 5% per cent since 2017. The number of parcels given to children has risen even more drastically, increasing by an appalling 13 per cent, with 6,271 parcels being given out to children in the space of just six months. Scottish Labour have said this proves there must be no more delays to the introduction of a legal right to food in Scotland. Scottish Labour have long campaigned for a statutory right to food in Scots law. The SNP and the Greens both backed this policy in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, however in May the SNP-Green government voted against Labour’s attempt to introduce a Right to Food during the Good Food Nation Bill.
Commenting, Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP said: “As the cost of living crisis piles pressure on households, more and more people in Glasgow are being forced to turn to food banks. “Families are at breaking point and parents are struggling to feed their children. I am hearing from constituents who are struggling to heat their homes and put food on the table – they have no other option but to seek this support. “It is more urgent than ever that we enshrine people’s right to food in Scots law, but the SNP-Green government keep kicking the can down the line. “There is no more time to delay - this year must be the year we embed the right to food in law at last.” ENDS Notes
Trussell Trust Mid Year Statistics 2022-23 – 1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022:
*Figures compare 1 April to 30 September 2017 with the same period in 2022.