Tory minister claims it is 'strange' people use food banks while there is an obesity crisis

A Conservative minister has been strongly criticised after saying it was "a paradox" that people use food banks when the UK has an obesity problem.

Lord Prior of Brampton, a Conservative health minister, was challenged in Parliament by a Labour peer after denying there was a connection between benefit cuts and people turning to charities to feed their families.

Labour called his remarks "out of touch nonsense", to which the former investment banker said that it was strange that food bank use had increased among those who could not afford to eat, while other people were eating too much.

Labour peer Lord Cashman responded by telling him that people were starving in Britain.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby also disagreed with Lord Prior's comments.

He said that in his experience the vast majority of those relying on food banks were running out of food because of changes to their benefits.