A cross-party group of MPs and Peers, which I chair, recently reported on the extent and causes of hunger over the past year. A disturbing finding from this exercise was the apparent increase in the numbers of people working on a zero-hours basis, or at the mercy of an employment agency, for whom a low and irregular income does not cover market prices for food, rent and utilities. Many of these workers, in order to keep a roof over their head and avoid being cut off by their energy supplier, are seeking help from their local food bank.