Public Procurement: Prioritising British Suppliers
Debate between Baroness Twycross and Lord Deben(4 days, 1 hour ago)
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Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I agree that a lot of procurement is done through local authorities. There are some really good examples from local areas of what local government already does. We will endeavour to make sure that local government is aware of the new regime in the same way as we want central government to adapt how it works.
Lord Deben (Con)
The noble Baroness has again committed the Government to buying from local farmers throughout the system. The trouble is that the Government do not publish facts regularly so that we can see how they are doing. Everyone locally knows perfectly well that it is not working at the moment. Can she assure the House that we will have regular updates about the proportion of food in schools that is bought locally, where the food comes from and how often people look carefully at where it comes from to see whether, as my noble friend pointed out, it meets the same standards that we insist British farmers meet?
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
My understanding is that food standards in schools are an issue that the Department for Education has been looking at. It feels like it would be easy for me to commit to that but quite difficult for us necessarily to deliver it. I will look into the noble Lord’s point and get back to him.
European Union
Debate between Baroness Twycross and Lord Deben(2 years ago)
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Baroness Twycross (Lab)
We need to recognise that the public were clear that they voted for Brexit, which is why this Government are not seeking to relitigate or renegotiate the entirety of the Brexit deal—but we do want to make Brexit work.
Lord Deben (Con)
Is it not true that we are culturally part of Europe and that the culture connections are very important, but that at the moment they are held up because of the “Wrecksiteers” and their attitudes to all this? Can we please get on with this and not fuss about?
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I hope the noble Lord does not think that we are fussing about. Culturally and geographically, this country is clearly part of Europe. I think the Question specified the EU, which is why my responses have related to that.