Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nigel Mills and Elizabeth Truss

Thursday 10th September 2015 Commons Chamber

[Nigel Mills (Amber Valley) (Con)]

11. What steps the Government are taking to promote British food and drink.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Elizabeth Truss)]

We are committed to expanding exports and promoting British food and drink, which is a £100 billion-a-year industry. We want to make better use of the GREAT brand and will be running trade missions this autumn to Germany and China.

[Nigel Mills]

The Secretary of State saw on her visit to Matthew Walker in Heanor the importance of exports to delivering growth, as well as the great attraction that great British products have overseas. What more can her Department do by working with UK Trade & Investment to help small businesses start to export their food products?

[Elizabeth Truss]

I thank my hon. Friend both for his question and for the excellent puddings that we enjoyed at the Matthew Walker factory. We certainly filled our boots that day! I was amazed to hear that that company supplies 96% of the UK’s Christmas puddings, and ships puddings all the way to Australia. I want to champion fantastic businesses such as that through trade missions and the Great British Food Unit, as well as integrating more closely with what UKTI does.