Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Thursday, 12 February 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 February 2004. It was answered by Lord Bilston (Labour) on Thursday, 26 February 2004 on behalf of the Catering Committee.

Catering Select Committee

Question: To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee, if he will recommend to the Refreshment Department that it stocks Fairtrade fruit and chocolate bars in all catering outlets on the parliamentary estate.

Answer: Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee if he will recommend to the Refreshment Department that it stocks Fairtrade fruit and chocolate bars in all catering outlets on the Parliamentary Estate. [155813] Mr. Dennis Turner: The Refreshment Department was one of the first organisations to support the Fairtrade movement and has done so for many years. We already stock chocolate made by The Day Chocolate Company throughout our cafeterias, and purchase Fairtrade bananas whenever they are available from our suppliers. All fresh coffee served by the Department is made from beans approved by the Fairtrade organisation, and we stock fairly traded "Clipper" teas and "Geobars" (a cereal snack bar). The Refreshment Department will be actively supporting the Fairtrade Fortnight, which is being held from Monday 1 March to Sunday 14 March, by promoting our Fairtrade Mark products under their banner "A taste for life". We will also be selling other fairly traded goods, including dried fruits, cookies, pasta, oranges and grapes, which are not always available to the catering market. We believe that these will prove popular with our customers and we hope by this means to encourage our suppliers to stock these products.

Secondary information