Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to encourage procurement of British produce within meals available for (a) staff in his Department and (b) patients since 1 January 2021.

The catering provider contracted to supply services to the Department has adopted a United Kingdom-first sourcing policy.

The National Health Service is required to purchase food through the appropriate frameworks which identifies safe working practices and the quality of the product. The NHS Supply Chain and NHS organisations have shown an ambition to source with local producers where possible.