Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the compatability of mandating a minimum quota of domestic products in public procurement contracts for food with Britain's membership of the World Trade Organisation.

The Government has ambition to source half of all food served in public sector settings from local producers or that has been produced by growers certified to higher environmental standards, where possible. We want to use the purchasing power of the public sector food supply chain to lead the way, setting the tone in delivering our wider ambitions on sustainability, animal welfare, economic growth, nutrition and health.

We are exploring innovative ways of achieving this policy aim that will help develop and support local economies and be compatible with our obligations under the World Trade Organisation Government Procurement Agreement and domestic procurement rules.