NFU supports Buy British Bill and urges MPs to back it too

15 March 2024

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The NFU is urging MPs to back the ‘Buy British Bill’ and support its passage through Parliament.

MP for Rotherham Sarah Champion’s Private Member’s Bill - Public Procurement (British Goods and Services) – has its Second Reading in the House of Commons today.

The NFU has worked closely with Ms Champion to develop the Bill which would amend two existing Acts of Parliament relating to requirements to be followed in public procurement. These include the need for a contracting authority to consider what proportion of the food originates from the UK.

NFU Deputy President David Exwood said: “We know there is huge support across the country for food served in the public sector to be British. Our own research² shows 76% of the public want government to commit to sourcing at least half of all food for schools, prisons and hospitals from British farms.

“However, despite the public procurement of food encompassing a spend of over £2.4 billion, disappointingly, there is currently no record of what proportion of this food is currently supplied by British farmers and growers.

“In our election manifesto, the NFU is calling on the next government to commit to sourcing 50% of food into the public sector from British farms, and the reporting of the origin of public sector sourced food which is essential to monitor progress towards this ambition.

“This would guarantee more British farmers and growers delivering high quality, fresh, seasonal and affordable food to world-leading environmental and welfare standards into our schools, prisons, hospitals and the military.

“We fully support Sarah Champion for introducing her Bill and encourage all Parliamentarians to support it and back British food and farming.”

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Notes to editor:

  1. Labour MP for Rotherham Sarah Champion’s Private Members Bill, the Public Procurement (British Goods and Services) Bill has its Second Reading today in the House of Commons.
  2. An online poll was carried out by Deltapoll for the NFU of 4,068 GB adults including 614 respondents in the top 100 constituencies for NFU membership. The fieldwork took place from January 26th to February 5th 2024. The data has been weighted to be representative of the British adult population as a whole. More information here.
  3. You can read the NFU election manifesto, Farming for Britain’s Future, here.