Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what steps the House of Lords catering services are taking to support British farmers and growers by buying British produce.

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.

It is always the intention of Catering & Retail Services to purchase high quality, fresh, seasonal produce. In catering outlets and for events the majority of fresh products purchased are British: meat, dairy, bread, eggs, and fruit and vegetables (when in season) are sourced from within the UK.

When tendering for new supplier contracts the Parliamentary Procurement and Commercial Service (PPCS) add to contracts wording such as:

"The Authority [PPCS] seeks to appoint fresh produce suppliers that have robust environmental and local sourcing policies and give preference to those that subscribe to Linking Environment and Farming marque (LEAF), or Red Tractor…"

Seasonality and the provenance of our ingredients feature heavily on our menus and promotional material. Key calendar dates such as British Food Fortnight are supported in our outlets through promotional activity, along with other regional showcases, highlighting produce and traditional food recipes from across the UK. Catering & Retail Services have also worked with the National Farmers Union for their Back British Farming campaigns.