To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what quantity of (a) fruit and (b) vegetables was purchased by the Refreshment Department in each of the last three years; what the cost of these purchases was in each year; and if the Commission will estimate what percentage of each of these items was imported. (131066)

Accounts have not yet been finalised for the full year ending March 2007, but during the 11 months to February 2007, the Refreshment Department spent an estimated (a) £103,000 on the purchase of fresh fruit and (b) £290,000 on the purchase of fresh vegetables. Many fruit and vegetables are purchased by individual piece or bunch, not by weight or any other consistent measure, and so it is not possible to give an overall estimate of the quantity of fruit and vegetables purchased. If the hon. Member wishes to know the estimated quantity of specific items purchased during this period, he should write to the director of catering services, who will be pleased to let him have such details.

Detailed purchase information is not currently available for the year 2005-06 due to technical issues that are being investigated by the software supplier. The director of catering services will write to the hon. Member with the purchase expenditure for fruit and vegetables when the requested information becomes available. No information is available for previous years.

No record is kept of the country of origin of fruit and vegetables purchased and so it is not possible to estimate the percentage of imported produce.