HC Deb 19 June 2002 vol 387 c375W
Mrs. Helen Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Policy Commission on Food and Farming. [60683]

Mr. Morley

At the Prime Minister's seminar on 26 March, we announced a number of early actions being taken, by both industry and Government to deliver the Policy Commission's recommendations. We also launched a wide ranging programme to explore with stakeholders how best to give effect to the Commission's recommendations.

We have held the first meeting of the contact group of key organisations. The outcomes of regional and sectoral meetings, and the responses to the discussion document `Sustainable food and farming: working together' are being analysed. All of these will help inform the development of a new strategy for sustainable food, which will include a response to all of the Commission's recommendations. We plan to launch this in the autumn, following the outcome of the spending review.