Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports of a 5.1% rise in food and drink prices in the year to August 2025, what its position is on whether Scotland is facing a cost of food crisis, and what action it can take to address food affordability.
The Scottish Government recognises the particular impact of food price inflation on low-income households in Scotland who are already grappling with cost-of-living pressures and are disproportionately affected by rising food prices. That is why the 2025-26 budget continues to allocate over £3 billion a year to policies which tackle poverty and the cost of living, including offering free school meals to all pupils in P1 to 5 and in special schools, saving families taking those meals around £450 per year per child. The Scottish Government is investing around £6.9 billion in our social security system this year, almost £1.3 billion more than the UK Government gives to the Scottish Government for Social Security. This includes investment of £649 million in our package of benefits and payments only available in Scotland. All action putting more money in people’s pockets to be able to afford the essentials, including food.
There are a range of global and domestic factors driving food price inflation and whilst the Scottish Government is seeking to support households and local food suppliers in Scotland, there are a number of challenges that lie specifically with the UK Government. Indeed, the Bank of England cite factors such as regulatory changes and rising labour costs, which have been exacerbated by the UK Government’s increase to Employer National Insurance Contributions in autumn last year, as creating an additional financial burden on businesses, households, and the public sector. While many of the levers to address these challenges lie with the UK Government and could be managed more effectively in an independent Scotland, the Scottish Government remains committed in the meantime to using the powers available to us to support people across our nation with the cost of living pressures.