To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on food by his Department and by each agency for which it is responsible in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; what proportion of that food by value was produced in the United Kingdom; what guidance he has issued to encourage the procurement of home-produced food; and if he will make a statement. [129376]

The Department came into being on 29 May 2002. The information requested is given in the following table.The Department's catering services are all contracted out, with the contractor recovering costs through the sale of services. Expenditure on food in DfT is, therefore, limited to official hospitality provided by the Department and its Agencies, and canteen subsidies. Records of spend on food provided at some external conferences and similar events are not kept centrally and are not included.The Department does not generally prescribe the sourcing of goods and produce supplied to the Department or sold in staff restaurants, nor are contractors currently required to provide this information. The percentage and value of foodstuffs sourced from the UK under existing departmental catering contracts is not, therefore, readily available.DEFRA has published a "Guidance and action Sheet for buyers and their internal customers" that includes guidance on local sourcing and in particular how to remove obstacles to tendering faced by local and UK suppliers. I am taking steps to ensure that the guidance is implemented by departmental purchasers involved in the procurement of facility management/catering services.We are also working closely with DEFRA, and our agencies, to integrate and promote the principles of sustainable development into the public procurement of food and catering services.