Whether it intends to make representations to Her Majesty's Government requesting that the Ministry of Defence purchase the largest possibl…

The Ministry of Defence must adhere to procurement rules in awarding contracts and is precluded from specifying the source of origin of its purchases, including beef and lamb. While requiring its contractors to seek the best price in the open market, consistent with its quality standards, the Ministry does look to buy home produced products where they are competitive. My Department keeps in touch with the Ministry on procurement issues with that in mind. Special arrangements have been made for the armed forces to access stocks of intervention beef held in cold stores throughout the UK, including stocks held in Scotland.