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Armed Forces: Food

Volume 480: debated on Wednesday 8 October 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of (a) lamb, (b) beef, (c) pork and (d) chicken supplied to the armed forces came from livestock reared in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available. (224740)

Under the MOD single food supply contract, 100 per cent. of pork and gammon, and 55 per cent. of beef is sourced from the UK. Of the poultry requirement, up to 15 per cent. is sourced from the UK, although 100 per cent. of turkeys are British, and an initiative has been launched to increase the number of British chickens procured. Recently the amount of British lamb procured has increased from 9 per cent. to 19 per cent., and the MOD continues to look for opportunities to increase this further while still achieving best value for money. Figures for food procured under the Pay as You Dine project, which now accounts for more than 50 per cent. of troops fed, are not held centrally, although these contractors are also required, wherever competitive, to give full consideration to procuring British products.