EDM 1449: Diabetes Week 2025

That this House commemorates Diabetes Week 2025; notes that 5.8 million in the UK are living with diabetes; understands that without the right support, diabetes can lead to other long-term conditions and complications like sight loss, amputations, stroke and heart disease; is concerned that more than 1 in 3 people are not getting all the checks they need; recognises the role that the UK’s broken food system plays in people developing long-term health conditions such as diabetes; further notes with regret that healthier foods are more than twice as expensive per calories than less healthy foods and less available; is worried by research from the Food Foundation highlighting that the most deprived fifth of the population would need to spend 45% of their disposable income on food to afford the government-recommended healthy diet; further recognises with regret that the UK only produce 17% of the fresh fruit and 55% of the fresh vegetables that we consume; and calls for the Government to provide support for homegrown produce following the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in December 2024 and to commit to an additional £1bn a year in support for farmers to ensure they can continue to produce high quality food for our tables while protecting and enhancing our natural environment.