Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage procurement at (a) schools, (b) colleges, (c) universities and (d) other educational establishments to be compliant with high animal welfare standards.

The Government Buying Standards for food and catering services (GBSF) are mandatory for central Government and the NHS, and encouraged in the wider public sector, including schools and other educational establishments. The standards require that all meat and other animal derived products served must have been produced in compliance with UK legal standards for animal welfare.

The Government’s balanced scorecard methodology for assessing the value of contract bids, which compliments the GBSF, rewards suppliers who provide produce, products or services which exceed minimum requirements. It includes award criteria for businesses which supply meat raised using enhanced welfare methods. The balanced scorecard is also mandatory for use in central Government departments, and encouraged for use in the broader public sector. Defra is working closely with other Government departments, including the Department for Education, to encourage uptake of the balanced scorecard approach.