MPs Seek to Shield Families from Prices and Gambling Harm
High-Level Summary
Westminster Hall held two debates on pressures facing households. MPs examined how food inflation has affected living standards, discussing causes across supply chains and proposed responses on incomes, housing costs, regulation and trade. A later debate treated gambling harms affecting children and young people as a public health issue, focusing on online advertising, gaming mechanics and the stability of treatment funding. Neither debate went to a division; each ended with the House resolving that it had considered the subject, and Ministers outlined current and planned actions.
Detailed Summary
Impact of food inflation on the cost of living
Catherine West opened by linking food affordability to children’s life chances and cited the cumulative rise in prices: “UK food prices rose by a total of 38.6% between November 2020 and 2025” [ref: a453.2/4]. She asked the Government to “commit to ending the need for food banks for families by the end of this Parliament” and to consider “an essentials guarantee in our social security system”, alongside updating local housing allowance and exploring a publicly backed food hub [ref: a453.2/7]. She highlighted research that Brexit “added as much as eight percentage points to food inflation” and supported progress towards a UK‑EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement, which “would add £9 billion to the UK economy in the long term” [ref: a455.5/3; a456.1/1]. Members raised supermarket pricing in convenience formats and access to affordable, healthy food [ref: a456.1/2; a457.0/1].
Contributions explored producer margins and input costs. John Lamont warned that while prices are rising, “farmers… are not seeing a similar rise in the income” [ref: a455.0/1], and Alistair Carmichael urged action on the supply chain and a revised food strategy [ref: a455.2/1]. John Glen said food inflation had outpaced general inflation over five years and cited energy costs: “Our energy costs are 45% higher at this point in time than those in France and Germany” [ref: a459.0/3; a459.0/6]. Robbie Moore pressed for debate and action on the Batters farming profitability review and more powers for the Grocery Code Adjudicator [ref: a471.0/4]. Responding for the Government, the Minister said food poverty affects “more than 14 million people” [ref: a473.0/3], set out measures including expanding free school meals to “benefit about half a million more pupils” and extending holiday activities/food provision and breakfast clubs [ref: a474.2/4; a474.2/5], and confirmed DEFRA is introducing a “food inflation gateway” so the cumulative price impact of regulation is assessed [ref: a474.2/6]. The motion, “That this House has considered the impact of food inflation on the cost of living”, was agreed to without a vote [ref: a476.0/4; a476.0/6].
Gambling harms affecting children and young people
Kevin McKenna framed gambling harms as a public health issue, highlighting both direct and indirect impacts on children and families. He said, “We lose something like 500 people a year in this country directly to gambling, through suicide” and that children can access gambling “24/7” and are “subjected to gambling advertisements and inducements… at all times” via smartphones [ref: a477.2/5; a477.2/12-13]. He noted industry spend of “about £2 billion on advertising” and estimated societal harms of “about £1.7 billion,” and warned that loot boxes are “a form of gambling” [ref: a477.2/14-15]. MPs urged tighter controls on digital marketing, influencer promotions and age‑checks; Ben Coleman called to “ban gambling ads on platforms accessible to minors… and fund prevention programmes” [ref: a480.0/2]. Evidence cited included heavy exposure through sport and social media: on one Premier League opening weekend “there were 27,000 gambling adverts or inducements,” “31% of children… have seen them through influencers,” and “74% of gambling ads on social media were found not to follow” labelling rules [ref: a482.0/5; a482.0/7-8].
Members also raised service provision and funding stability. Jim Shannon said “1.6 million children in the UK live with an adult who displays signs of a problematic gambling addiction” and pressed for interim support for specialist providers ahead of the statutory levy [ref: a484.0/3; a484.0/8]. Lizzi Collinge pointed to celebrity‑fronted adverts—“All you need is a feeling and a phone” [ref: a486.2/3]—and Munira Wilson called for curbing sponsorship, pre‑watershed advertising and replacing self‑regulation with independent rules [ref: a493.0/11]. The Minister said the statutory levy would raise £120 million this year, with “30%… into prevention, … 30%… into treatment, [and] 20%… into research”, confirmed “Applications… opened yesterday,” and announced an extra “£26 million” to tackle the illegal market [ref: a497.0/19; a497.0/14; a497.0/11]. He highlighted ongoing loot box research due “later this year” and services such as the NHS National Gambling Clinic for 13‑ to 18‑year‑olds [ref: a497.0/5; a497.0/7]. The motion, “That this House has considered the impact of gambling harms on children and young people”, was agreed to without a vote [ref: a501.0/3; a501.0/5].