PRESS RELEASE : Will Quince MP appointed to conduct review into food procurement [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 11 March 2024.

Will Quince MP appointed to conduct review into public sector food procurement.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay has today (Monday 11 March) appointed Will Quince MP as an independent advisor to support the government’s ongoing work to improve food procurement in the public sector.

His review will:

• seek ways to make the system more accessible to small- and medium-sized businesses and farmers, as well as boosting animal welfare and environmental standards.
• look at how the government can further promote high standards for food and catering services, for example in hospitals or local authority settings, such as residential care.
• consider opportunities to extend the reach of the existing framework, the Government Buying Standard for food and catering services, particularly to education settings.
• explore how we can ensure more compliance with the GBSF, or have institutions go above and beyond in areas like nutrition or waste prevention.

Will Quince MP worked in the food and drink industry prior to becoming an MP, and has since held ministerial roles at both the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care.

Mr Quince will engage with stakeholders across the public sector food and catering supply chain and will also examine international practices.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

I’m pleased to appoint Will Quince to conduct a review of our public sector food procurement.

We will ensure our schools, hospitals and armed forces are using their budgets to support sustainable food produced to the high animal welfare standards we have here in Britain, which are some of the best in the world.

Will Quince is ideally placed to lead this work given his wealth of experience in numerous departments, including DHSC and DfE.

Will Quince MP said:

Public bodies spend around £5bn on food every year so it’s right that we look at opportunities to boost the impact food procurement has on the environment and the local community.

Whether it’s schools, our armed forces, hospitals, prisons or local councils, I look forward to working with all those involved in the production, buying, cooking, serving and consumption of food in public bodies to identify the ways in which we can deliver on our commitments on climate, nature and health and considering the benefits of, and barriers to delivering food that is fresh, local and sustainable.