A TORY peer who hit the headlines for claiming poor people do not know how to cook has apologised for her remarks overshadowing an inquiry into hunger in the UK.

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington has already said sorry for her choice of words at the launch of the Church of England-backed Feeding Britain report and in the House of Lords she reiterated her apology. The comments brought condemnation from people throughout the North-East.

The wife of Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin said on Monday: "We have lost our cooking skills. Poor people don't know how to cook."

At question time in the Lords she said: "I have been a member of this inquiry which has over the past few months travelled from Birkenhead and South Shields to Cornwall and Salisbury to take evidence as well as taking evidence from a large number of witnesses and organisations in London many of whom do outstanding work in their local communities.

"I would like to take this opportunity of saying how much I regret the wording of my remarks at the launch on Monday, not least because they have overshadowed the 76 other recommendations."

And she asked Government spokesman Lord Wallace of Saltaire: "Can you urge ministers in the eight different departments responsible to read the report and its recommendations with great care?"

Lord Wallace paid tribute to the "enormous amount of work" Lady Jenkin had put into the inquiry.

"I know that you have been committed to these issues for some years," he said.