Defra minister confirms PSC Expo address on Government Buying Standards

The Department of Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that Minister of State Victoria Prentis will be delivering a keynote address to the PSC Expo, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from March 15-16.

She will tackle the issue of Government Buying Standards when she speaks to the Expo via Zoom on the morning of Tuesday, March 15th.

Defra has been gearing up to launch a consultation on possible changes to public sector food procurement policy, which is expected to open in March.

She will be outlining particular areas ripe for revision, such as encouraging the public sector to buy more British food to support growers and farmers in the UK and reduce the sector’s carbon footprint through the use of more sustainable produce.

Prentis will be encouraging the associations – LACA, TUCO, HCA, NACC, PACE, as well as catering leaders working in prisons and the military – to participate in the consultation.

Defra believes there will be a lot in the consultation that is very relevant for all the public sector catering associations, and it wants to make sure it ‘captures their views and provokes discussion’.

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