Written question asked by Joe Robertson (Conservative) on Monday, 13 January 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 January 2025. It was answered by Daniel Zeichner (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 January 2025 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Public Sector: Catering

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the introduction of meat-free Mondays in public sector canteens.

Answer: Defra welcomes innovations that increase customer choice around food served in public sector settings. Defra is responsible for the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF) which apply to Government Departments and Agencies, Hospitals the military and prisons. These include rules for varying the types of food included on menus to ensure the nutritional needs of customers are met. However, we do not believe it is helpful to impose blanket menu restrictions on caterers: local canteen managers are better placed to decide what to serve, and when, based on local demand.

Secondary information