§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much British beef(a) in weight and (b) in value, was supplied to the British armed forces in each of the last three years. [1381]
§ 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. Records for the last three years are not available, however in the financial year 1995–96 and in the first six months of the current financial year, NAAFI purchased some 690,000 kg of UK beef, including sirloin, forerib, diced mince and a range of manufactured products; these were valued at £1.3 million.