§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on local purchase of vegetables and meat by the garrison at Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands. [159872]
§ Mr. IngramLocally grown salad vegetables are purchased for use at Mount Pleasant Airfield, but the produce available is limited. Local meat has not been procured because, prior to this year, it did not meet the Armed Forces Quality Standard and the Falkland Island abattoir was not EC approved. However, the Falkland Island Development Corporation has recently opened a fully compliant, purpose-built abattoir, and they are working to improve the quality of local lamb and mutton, with a view to supplying to Angliss (UK), the MOD's meat supplier, in the near future. An exploratory visit in January 2004 by Angliss (UK) proved to be most encouraging.