Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alan Duncan and Steve Rotheram

Wednesday 26th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Steve Rotheram (Liverpool, Walton) (Lab)]

12. What steps his Department is taking to promote fair trade projects in developing countries.

[The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Mr Alan Duncan)]

DFID believes that people can never escape poverty without the opportunity to produce and trade freely. By promoting open markets and a strong framework for international trade, we are helping to support fair market access for poor people. We aim to double the number of fair trade certified producers to 2.2 million by the end of 2013, and to improve working conditions in global supply chains.

[Mr Duncan]

That is an essential objective for the entire Department. International progress towards the conclusion that we would like to see is proving somewhat difficult, but we will continue our great effort to try to secure an improved trading environment for the world.

[Steve Rotheram]

What steps is the Secretary of State taking to ensure that fair trade best practice is reflected in the Government’s public procurement policy?

[Mr Duncan]

We optimise as far as possible everything that DFID and the Government buy, so that the fair trade label appears wherever it possibly can within government. That remains our objective in all that we do.