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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage consumption of British shellfish in (1) hospitals, (2) schools, and (3) other public institutions.

The Government will always champion greater consumption of our excellent British food and drink, including seafood, within public sector settings. The Government's public sector food procurement mandatory and best practice guidance, including the Balanced Scorecard and Government Buying Standards for Food (GBSF), encourages the procurement of UK seasonal and locally produced food.

Defra will be consulting on a refreshed version of the GBSF this summer. We will be seeking views on how the standards could be used to promote even greater uptake of locally produced food by public procurers and their suppliers.

Defra is also working closely with the Crown Commercial Service to develop the Future Food Framework which will create significant new opportunities for small businesses to contribute to regional public sector bodies. The trial will include a focus on local fisheries as one of the key food categories. The pilot is due to launch in the South West in 2022 with a national rollout planned for 2023.

Defra is also partnering with Seafish (the public body that supports the UK seafood industry) to encourage greater domestic consumption of seafood, to support and enhance our domestic fishing industry. The Love Seafood campaign will run throughout this spring and will promote the wide range of fish and shellfish caught in UK waters.