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Public Sector Procurement (UK Food)
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on public sector procurement of United Kingdom sourced food products. [128242]
Alun Michael: Defra's policy on the UK's public sector procurement of food is given in the guidance we have published on integrating sustainable development issues into public procurement of food and catering. It explains that buyers should ensure that specifications do not discriminate against or prevent local businesses from competing in the supply market, while pointing out that the EC Treaty and EC procurement directives do not permit discrimination on the basis of nationality. The guidance is aimed at the public sector as a whole and should help to increase the opportunities for local and UK producers to compete for public sector contracts. Information can be found at: http://www. defra.gov.uk/farm/sustain/procurement/index.htm.
Locally Grown Produce
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures have been taken to promote and encourage the consumption of locally grown produce in the last 12 months. [128245]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government recognises the benefits of local food and is keen to encourage a flourishing local food sector. Over the last 12 months, we have made provision under the England Rural Development Programme for grants for activities such as the establishment of farmers' markets and other direct sales outlets, the development of local branding initiatives and the formation of collaborative groups to market produce. Defra has also helped to finance workshops organised by the IGD designed to bring together supermarkets and small local producers to explore how barriers to local sourcing can be overcome. One practical area where the Government can have a direct effect on the local food sector is public procurement. Defra has published guidance on its website (http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/
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sustain/procurement/index.htm) that, among other things, should help to increase the opportunities for local and UK producers to compete for public sector contracts. We have asked Government Departments to produce their own action plans on public procurement. We are also encouraging local authorities to do the same.
We have recently drawn up a local food policy paper examining the rationale for public support and setting out a framework within which support will be given. The paper is published on the following website address: http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/specialfoods/localfood/index.htm.The framework focuses on added value at national level, the public procurement initiative and spreading best local food practice nationwide. We will also continue to deploy our various funding schemes to encourage a flourishing local food sector. This activity will complement measures at a regional level which the Regional Development Agencies will be implementing as part of their wider food and drink strategies.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department has taken to promote local trade fairs and farmers' markets in the last 12 months. [128246]
Mr. Bradshaw: Local trade fairs and farmers' markets are an excellent way to raise awareness about local and regional food. In the last 12 months, we have made provision under the England Rural Development Programme for grants for projects promoting farmers' markets and other direct sales outlets. For example, within this period we have awarded 100,256 to the National Association of Farmers' Markets to raise the profile of farmers' markets across England and increase public awareness of them. In addition, in November last year Lord Whitty wrote to all Local Authorities outlining the benefits farmers' markets bring and the role they play in bringing urban and rural communities together. Finally, Defra provides funding to Food from Britain, which has responsibility for promoting the production and consumption of quality regional food and drink. One of the measures for doing this is by providing business support, through the network of Regional Food Groups, to those producers wishing to exhibit at trade fairs both at a local and national level.
Foreign Policy
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the application of the ethical dimension of foreign policy in her Department's activities overseas. [128253]
Mr. Bradshaw: The common theme of the Department's overseas activity is sustainable development—meeting the needs of today without compromising the needs of future generations.
Defra's overseas activities support the Government's wider international objectives, by contributing to preventive measures designed to address potential causes of future conflict; by supporting multilateral co-operation to address international problems; and by contributing to the spread of good governance.
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Defra's key international activities support sustainable development by:
- tackling the causes and effects of environmental degradation, for example, by addressing climate change;
promoting sustainable use of natural resources, including water, soil, forestry, fisheries, and biodiversity; and
promoting fairer world trade in agriculture, notably through CAP reform and the WTO's Doha Development Agenda.
EU Legislation
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's application of (a) subsidiarity and (b) proportionality in applying EU legislation. [128254]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department considers whether the implications and effects of subsidiarity are relevant in respect of each proposal that falls under the remit of the UK parliamentary scrutiny procedures. The Department provides Parliament with a concise assessment of whether the Government believe the proposal in question is justified in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the EC Treaty.
The Department's policy is to consider proportionality as an integral part of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). All proposed legislation is examined to ensure that the approach—both in negotiation and final implementation, is appropriate to the risk posed, and that costs are identified and minimised wherever possible.
Departmental Spending
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by her Department on encouraging (a) co-operation and (b) stronger marketing for British farmers and food produce in each of the last 10 years. [128054]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has over the last 10 years pursued various initiatives designed to encourage and support co-operation between farmers and the better marketing of food produced by them, or which have contributed to these objectives. These include the work that the Department has undertaken to promote agricultural exports, its support for Food from Britain and regional food groups, its promotion and administration of protected food names schemes, the support that it is giving to English Farming and Food Partnerships (which has been set up by industry to promote collaboration and co-operation) and grants made available under various grant schemes such as the Agriculture Development Scheme, the schemes operating under England Rural Development programme, and those under the EU Structural Funds. Identifying all of these initiatives, and isolating or estimating the expenditure that relates directly to encouraging co-operation and marketing, could be done only at disproportionate cost.
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Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how much has been spent by her Department on progressive and appropriate science and technology in the area of food security, by type, in each of the last 10 years; [128055]
- (2) how much has been spent in support of science and technology for agriculture in each of the last 10 years. [128061]
Mr. Bradshaw: Details of Defra funding of science and technology (S&T) activities are regularly published through the Government's Forward Look, the 2003 version of which has just been published (http://www.ost.gov.uk/atoz.html)
Although the Department is involved in much work relating to food security, none of this is classed as S&T and figures are not therefore available under this category.
Expenditure on S&T in support of agriculture for the last 10 years, taken from the Forward Look, is:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 92.80 |
| 1994–95 | 93.10 |
| 1995–96 | 93.70 |
| 1996–97 | 92.00 |
| 1997–98 | 91.60 |
| 1998–99 | 91.70 |
| 1999–2000 | 89.30 |
| 2000–01 | 90.20 |
| 2001–02 | 92.60 |
| 2002–03 | 92.40 |
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by her Department on the protection against the importation of (a) dangerous and (b) unacceptably produced food in each of the last 10 years. [128057]
Mr. Bradshaw: All products of animal origin imported from third countries into the UK must enter at designated UK Border Inspection Posts (BIP) where they are subject to veterinary inspections. The inspection services at the BIP are the responsibility of the local authority. UK and EC legislation requires that costs incurred by the local authority while carrying out checks are recovered from the importer. Details of costs are not held centrally.
As part of their normal duties, local and port health authorities were responsible for checks on passenger baggage and cargo at ports and airports until 11 April 2003, to prevent the illegal importation of products of animal origin. Between October 2002 and April 2003, Defra funded additional enforcement activity at the border. From 11 April 2003, HM Customs and Excise became responsible for anti-smuggling action in relation to these products. A total of £6 million additional resources is being provided this year on work to tackle illegal imports.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by her Department on the development of
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crops which offer sustainable alternatives for (a) fuel, (b) medical and (c) plastic products in the UK in each of the last 10 years. [128058]
Mr. Bradshaw: This Department has research programmes supporting the sustainable development of arable and horticultural crops relevant to both food and non-food uses. The total research expenditure on these crops is about £16 million per year. This includes about £0.5 million on biomass energy crops, £1 million on oilseed rape and £2 million on wheat.
The research programme specific to the non-food uses of crops is market-led and aims to respond positively to all proposals for high quality pre-competitive research to support the development of non-food products. The research spending over the last 10 years specifically supporting the development and use of crops for fuel, medical and plastic products is as follows:
| Fuel | Medical | Plastic products | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| 1994–95 | 323,000 | 0 | 140,000 |
| 1995–96 | 293,000 | 0 | 141,000 |
| 1996–97 | 316,000 | 0 | 247,000 |
| 1997–98 | 328,000 | 7,000 | 246,000 |
| 1998–99 | 378,000 | 0 | 160,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 560,000 | 0 | 59,000 |
| 2000–01 | 780,000 | 127,000 | 74,000 |
| 2001–02 | 591,000 | 219,000 | 146,000 |
| 2002–03 | 654,000 | 240,000 | 83,000 |
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to maintain the United Kingdom market share of indigenous fruit and vegetables; and how much has been spent on these measures in each of the last five years. [128062]
Mr. Bradshaw: There are no specific measures in place to maintain the UK market share of indigenous fruit and vegetables. However, Defra funds strategic research and development, worth some £11 million pa, which helps our fruit and vegetables producers to increase their competitiveness. Growers can also take advantage of assistance available under the England Rural Development Programme and other grant schemes.
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