§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to increase the amount of UK-sourced(a) foodstuffs and (b) kit purchased for the armed services. [165461]
§ Mr. IngramOpen and fair competition remains the bedrock of the Ministry of Defence's procurement policy although we are prepared to use other approaches where these offer better long-term value for money. The MOD's non-warlike acquisition requirements such as foodstuffs and equipment are subject to the EC Public Procurement Regulations that require such opportunities be advertised in theOfficial Journal of the European Union.
The MOD's contracted food supplier, '3663', is specifically required to source British products whenever they are competitive and when they meet the required quality standard. Indeed, of the 1,400 different products procured for the armed forces in the UK, including fresh, chilled and frozen commodities, over 1,100 are British. The remaining 300 include products that are not produced in this country, such as coffee and bananas.