NO MORE DELAY ON LOCAL FOOD (Jim Hume)

NO MORE DELAY ON LOCAL FOOD

June 23, 2008 12:00 AM

Jim Hume MSP, MSP for the South of Scotland, has urged the Scottish Government to end the delay that has characterised its handling of the national policy for food and drink.

The Scottish Government has announced its "next steps" towards a national policy for food and drink.

Jim Hume said:-

"After a year and a half of wracking its brains, the Scottish Government has come up with another investigation and another inquiry. This is not good enough. Warm words will not give Scotland's food producers the support they need during this difficult time of rising fuel and feed costs.

"Almost exactly a year ago, in a debate led by the Liberal Democrats, the Environment Minister agreed that improved public sector procurement was necessary to encourage the purchase of local, healthy, high quality food. This proposal has attracted cross-party and Government support for over a year now.

"Although it is encouraging that the SNP has promised to change the Scottish Government's catering contract to include local food, this is not ambitious enough and it has taken far too long.

The MSP continued:-

"In opposition, Richard Lochhead urged rapid action, saying 'we need proactive action on the issue from Scotland's responsible minister'. As the Environment Secretary in Government, he has described the new food policy as 'long overdue". So I ask the Cabinet Secretary: where is it?

"Ministers are frustratingly reticent about taking real action on local food, preferring instead to hide behind consultations and policy exercises. When will the Government's action match its rhetoric?"

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The SNP's 2007 manifesto promised: "In government the SNP will encourage the use of fresh, local food throughout the public sector. We will examine options for introducing a requirement in future public contracts for the use of fresh food, which will favour locally sourced and produced meals."

Richard Lochhead urged 'rapid action' during a Food Supply Chain debate on 4 October 2006.

At the 2007 SNP conference Richard Lochhead announced that he is "preparing the ground for an ambitious and long overdue food policy with economic, environmental and health dimensions".

Mr Hume's motion, lodged in May last year attracted cross party support and was debated on 21 June 2007.

S3M-00028# Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): Local Food- That the Parliament recognises the benefit to our health, the environment and Scotland's farmers, fishermen and rural areas of choosing more local, fresh, seasonal produce; believes that by specifying requirements for freshness, delivery frequency, specific varieties and production standards the public sector can take a lead in the promotion of local food; notes the success of the East Ayrshire school meals pilot in showing how procurement rules can promote locally grown food and support Scotland's local suppliers; considers that the school meals pilot should be rolled-out across Scotland, and recognises the importance of action across the public sector to encourage the procurement of more locally grown produce.

Supported by: Alex Johnstone, Robert Brown, Mr Hugh O'Donnell, Ross Finnie, Robin Harper, Mr Kenneth Gibson, Patrick Harvie, Mike Rumbles, Mike Pringle, Mr Jim Tolson, Tavish Scott, Karen Gillon, Mr John Lamont, Elaine Smith, Jeremy Purvis, Margo MacDonald, Iain Smith, Mr Jamie Stone, Liam McArthur, Iain Gray