§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 16 November 2001,Official Report, column 931W, on fair trade goods, if she will review and increase the amount of fairly traded goods purchased by her Department during Fair Trade Fortnight. [35919]
§ Clare ShortAs mentioned in my answer of 16 November 2001, my Department has supported FT initiatives for a number of years, both in developing countries and in the UK. This support forms part of a wider dialogue with the private sector to encourage them to adopt more socially responsible and ethical business practices. As companies and consumers become more aware of the connection between the way business is done and its impact on the livelihoods of people in developing countries, so the pressure for positive change grows.
Primarily for this reason, DFID is providing £120,000 to the Fair Trade Foundation over three years (2001–03) in support of its efforts to target new consumers through its annual Fair Trade Fortnight campaigns. In addition, Hilary Benn will be attending the launch of this year's campaign on 4 March 2002. 897W We also continue to serve FT coffee at all our official meetings and our in-house caterers will be actively promoting FT goods during the fortnight.