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Farm Animal Welfare

I absolutely accept that, and I touched on it in my response to the hon. Member for Westbury (Dr. Murrison). Perhaps I should also have said that consumers are entitled to much better information about where their meat comes from, which requires proper labelling. It has not been possible to calculate the exact percentage of caged eggs purchased in the public sector, but it is a matter of record that the dreaded race to the bottom in public sector food procurement—where organisations are required to find the cheapest price for food products regardless of other considerations—often results in the purchase of the least healthy and least sustainable food option available. That is no fault of public sector caterers, but merely reflects the environment in which they must work. Progress has been slow. Only 40 of 468 local authorities have followed the example of Lancashire county council. Sadly, it remains the case that the overwhelming majority of eggs purchased in the public sector are caged eggs. As the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire (Mr. Williams) said, that is at a time when companies such as McDonald's, Subway and Starbucks buy free range eggs. The trend towards free range and organic eggs has resulted in a strong supply base for those products. Market results from last year show that 47 per cent. of the UK's egg market is for non-caged eggs, and that sales of free range eggs have increased by 12 per cent. since the previous year—a trend that is expected to continue. If the fact that the commercial sector is leading the way on higher animal welfare standards for eggs is not sufficient motivation for the Government to prohibit the purchase of caged eggs, there is a simple business case for doing so. Prohibiting public sector procurement of caged eggs would bring down the cost of barn, free range and organic eggs over time by achieving economies of scale secured by long-term public sector contracts. Compass Group, the biggest contract catering company in the world, has already expressed support for the introduction of mandatory standards for the procurement of public sector food. In evidence to the Council of Food Policy Advisers, a body created by the Minister's Department, Compass stated that mandatory rules would simplify the procurement process, bring more local suppliers into the supply chain, and bring down the cost of food that meets higher sustainability criteria, including animal welfare standards. Abundant evidence suggests that healthier and more sustainable public sector food would not increase the cost to the public purse, but bring it down. The East Ayrshire schools' food for life partnership showed that buying organic local produce had an almost immediate effect on the local economy by creating jobs and increasing profits. It also anticipated longer-term public savings in reducing diet-related ill health and carbon emissions. The British egg industry would also benefit. It has come a long way in recent years. British egg producers should be rewarded for high-quality eggs reared to high animal welfare standards. A ban on caged eggs in the public sector would be a huge boost for the British egg industry because their supply is more easily available and cheaper when sourced in the UK. We should not forget that there are still more than 300 million laying hens in Europe, more than two thirds of which are housed in battery cages. Without mandatory standards, a cheap and tempting alternative market exists for public sector caterers who want to continue bumping along the bottom. Taxpayer's money should be spent on public sector food with a positive rather than negative impact, and for the benefit not just of animal welfare, but of our health, the environment and local economies. The only way to be sure that public sector food serves that purpose is to lead by example.