Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the food procured by public sector bodies in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Weald of Kent constituency is from British farms.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The previous Government did not hold information about where the food served by public bodies comes from. However, at January’s Oxford Farming Conference, it was announced that, for the first time ever, the Government would monitor just that. The initial phase of the work to better understand the data available across public sector food supply chains is near completion. It will inform further work to develop a mechanism via which the Government is able to better understand how much of the food bought by the public sector is from British suppliers.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many abattoirs he has visited in (a) England, (b) the South East of England and (c) Kent.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As Minister for Farming, I have visited abattoirs and will continue to do so.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 35595 on Agriculture: Subsidies, how many producer organisations have written to him to express concern over the discontinuation of the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme on 31 December 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since January 2025 there have been 16 pieces of correspondence addressed to Defra ministers by producer organisations, expressing their concern over the discontinuation of the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme on 31 December 2025.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 24563 on Farms: Domestic Visits, when he next plans to visit a farm in Kent.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra ministers regularly visit farms and meet with farmers nearly every week.