MPs are urging the government to appoint a minister for hunger in the UK to tackle the growing problem of food insecurity, which is affecting one in five children.

The Commons environmental audit committee has accused the government of “turning a blind eye” to hunger and criticised ministers for treating hunger as an “overseas” issue, despite evidence that the UK has among the worst levels of food insecurity in Europe.

The committee heard evidence that more than 2 million people in the UK were food insecure – meaning they struggled to eat regularly and healthily – with an estimated 19% of all under-15’s living with moderately or severely food insecure adults.

Nearly 2 million people in the UK may be undernourished, including up to a third of people admitted to hospital, up to 42% admitted to care homes and a fifth of those received into mental health units, the committee says.

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