HL Deb 22 April 2002 vol 634 c1WA
The Earl of Sandwich

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What support they have given to the Fairtrade Foundation, financially and in other ways, during the last two years; and what support they are giving in the current year, including the promotion of fair trade goods at local and central government level. [HL3477]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos)

The Department for International Development has supported fair trade initiatives for a number of years, both in developing countries and in the UK. This support forms part of a wider collaboration between government, the private sector and civil society to encourage more socially responsible and ethical business practices. As companies and consumers become more aware of the connections between the way business is done and the livelihoods of poor people in developing countries, so the pressure for positive change grows.

To this end, DfID has provided £169,000 from 1999–2002 in support of media work by the Fairtrade Foundation and an additional £120,000 from 2001–2003 to support the foundation's efforts to reach new consumers through its annual Fairtrade Fortnight campaign. This year's campaign, just completed, highlighted the positive developmental impacts of fair trade, raising the profile of products now on offer in UK shops and supermarkets. Hilary Benn, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, delivered a speech at the launch on 4 March 2002.

In June 2001, DfID approved a further grant (£150,000 over two years) to the Fairtrade Foundation to support an innovative project in East Africa to increase regional producers' involvement in international fair trade labelling. It established an East African regulatory body that offers consulting services, inspection and monitoring of fair trade standards.

Several government departments are developing policies to procure fair trade goods, although the relative lack of product lines means that this cannot yet form a substantial part of overall procurement practice.