National School Fruit Scheme

HC Deb 02 July 2002 vol 388 cc310-2W

Joan Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of apples and pears supplied to the pilots for the national school fruit scheme in (a) autumn 2000 and (b) autumn 2001 were of UK origin; and if he will list the other countries of origin of the apples and pears. [57167]

Jacqui Smith

[pursuant to her reply, 11 June 2002, c. 1215W]I regret that my previous reply was incorrect. It should read:

In Autumn 2000 all apples and pears supplied to the original national school fruit scheme pilots were from the United Kingdom.

We do not have comprehensive data on the origin of fruit in the much larger number of pilot sites in autumn 2001. We did not begin to collect such data until the regional expansion of the national school fruit scheme that started in April 2002, since when nationally contracted suppliers have routinely been providing detailed information on the origin of fruit.