§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that all contracts for the purchase of meat by NHS providers contain clauses specifying that the animals must have been reared under animal welfare conditions to a standard as high as those enforced in the UK. [103350]
§ Yvette CooperNational Health Service Supplies contracts stipulate that the origin of meat purchased for consumption within the NHS must be disclosed. They do not contain clauses of the type to which the hon. Member refers. Nevertheless, meat supplied through NHS Supplies contracts is, wherever possible, sourced from the United Kingdom and does, therefore, comply with the new welfare regulations.
197WHowever, NHS trusts and health authorities have the freedom to buy goods and services from wherever provides the best value. Although most products are available from the UK, price considerations may lead health authorities and NHS trusts to buy from elsewhere in the European Union.