§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what purchases of Argentinian beef have been made by the British Army to feed Her Majesty's forces in the last year. [788]
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§ Mr. ArbuthnotThe procurement of food for the armed forces is contracted to the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes. My Department does not specify the source of origin from which NAAFI should obtain beef—or any other meat—but expects it to seek the best market price for the product. The majority of our requirements are for frozen beef which is not readily available from the British market and I understand that on cost grounds the majority of beef joints have been sourced from South America, predominantly Brazil and Uruguay. NAAFI indicates that in the last year approximately 12 tonnes of frozen beef was sourced from Argentina; this represents less than 1 per cent. of the annual frozen meat requirements for the armed forces. Additionally, a range of beef products including sirloin, foreribs, minced and diced beef are normally procured in the UK along with other meat and poultry produce.