To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2008, Official Report, column 733W, on the Fairtrade initiative, what Fairtrade products are (a) available for purchase in his Department's staff catering facilities and (b) offered at official departmental meetings and engagements; what value of Fairtrade produce was purchased in his Department's staff catering facilities in each of the last three financial years; and what percentage of total revenue this represented. (208712)

Fairtrade products available for purchase are tea, coffee, hot chocolate, various fruit items and chocolate.

All tea and coffee products offered at official meetings and engagements are certified Fairtrade.

Catering facilities in 1 Horse Guards road are provided by a sub-contractor to the PFI provider who is not willing to release detailed information on his expenditure as it is considered commercially sensitive; however, the sub-contractor has confirmed that Fairtrade purchases average 31 per cent. of total purchasing expenditure.