asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action the Department for Communities and Local Government is taking to implement the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed. [HL4841]
The policy of Department for Communities and Local Government is to use the procurement best practice guidance that encourages consideration of sustainable procurement activities, including the use of small to medium enterprises and the third sector. All procurement is undertaken in line with the European Commission's procurement rules and to obtain value for money. British products are used where possible.
Figures on the proportion of British pork and bacon purchased by my department are included in the report, Proportion of domestically produced food used by government departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service, which is available on the PSFPI web site at http://www. defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govtfood-usage.pdf. Up-to-date data will become available towards the end of the year when the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs plans to publish a new report.
Catering services for Communities and Local Government are provided as part of the department's facilities management contract. Our caterer strives to ensure that it is buying and partnering with suppliers who are concerned about both the environment and animal welfare. The following bodies are some of the accreditation they look for: Assured Food Standards (Red Tractor Mark); the Soil Association; the National Association for Catering Butchers; the British Cheese Awards; the Freedom Food welfare scheme; and the Marine Conservation Society.
Our caterer aims to provide menus which are nutritionally balanced, appetising and built around variety, while using ingredients that are lower in saturated fat, salt and added sugar.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is taking to implement the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed. [HL4842]
The department's contract with our catering service provider, Baxter Storey, ensures that it complies with the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI) and that it procures from local sources wherever possible. They states that 100 per cent of its fresh pork purchased is of British origin, as is 75 per cent of bacon. Monthly meetings with the catering contractor are held to monitor general progress in delivering PSFPI objectives, including action to ensure that the bacon and pork served meets UK welfare standards. Purchasing policy is also reviewed at these meetings.
asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What action the Department for Transport is taking to implement the public sector food procurement initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed. [HL4843]
The Department for Transport does not purchase food centrally. All food procurement at the very few directly managed catering facilities within the department is undertaken in line with the EU’s procurement rules and to obtain value for money.
At departmental level, 33.5 per cent of bacon and 98.5 per cent of pork is domestically sourced, as published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) at: www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govt-food-usage.pdf.
Updated information will be published by Defra later this year.
asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What action HM Treasury is taking to implement the public sector food procurement initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed. [HL4845]
Food is supplied to HM Treasury as part of the catering service provided by its PFI provider at 1 Horse Guards Road. The Treasury encourages the PFI provider to adopt the objectives of the PSFPI. One hundred per cent of pork supplied is reared and farmed in the UK. Forty per cent of bacon comes from UK sources, and the PFI provider is working hard with its suppliers to increase this proportion. The PFI provider’s policy is to aim to source meat products of the highest quality and in accordance with UK welfare regulations for animal husbandry and welfare. It keeps its purchasing policy under regular review.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action the Home Office is taking to implement the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed. [HL4846]
The Home Department inclusive of its agencies does not contract directly for food supplies but procures catering services through wider facilities management (FM) or operational service contractors. To obtain information on what proportion of pork and bacon the department purchased is British would incur disproportionate costs.
When placing a contract with FM or operational services contractors, government guidance on sustainable food and farming is incorporated in appropriate terms and conditions with regards to the procurement of food. Purchasing policy is reviewed frequently to incorporate new policy initiatives.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action the Ministry of Justice is taking to implement the public sector food procurement initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed; and [HL4892]
What action HM Prison Service is taking to implement the public sector food procurement initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed. [HL4893]
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is currently working alongside other public sector bodies with the Food Quality Standards Group, a sub-group of the Food Procurement Group (FPG) working towards common agreement on commodity group standards. This work is nearing completion and will lead to a submission to the FPG.
The MoJ makes use of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs catering toolkit and the model specification clause covering farm assurance standards, animal welfare and other standards of production, plus food safety.
The guide Putting it into Practice on the PSFPI website is also a source of information used by the MoJ: www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/ resources.htm.
The MoJ also includes a requirement for contractors to evidence how they will implement the public sector food procurement initiative within the evaluation criteria of any competitions for the supply of foodstuff.
The proportion of pork and bacon purchased that is British is answered within the Defra report at www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govt-food-usage.pdf. This report is also referenced in the British Pig Executive report, Is the Government Buying British?. Defra again proposes to publish data by the end of 2008 on the proportion of domestically produced food used by government departments for the period July to June.
Additionally, food commodity standards and specifications are reviewed regularly to accommodate the requirements of a changeable and diverse consumer base. As a minimum they are scrutinised prior to any tendering exercise.