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 20 February 2023 to Question 148613 on Public Sector: Food, whether her predecessors had discussions with food and drink wholesalers on the creation of a single buyer framework for public sector food in the period between 2019 and September 2022.

Defra has engaged with Crown Commercial Services during the development of their framework. This includes ensuring the updated Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering (GBSF), once published, are incorporated into the framework. The GBSF has been widely consulted on by the Government, including a public consultation last summer.