Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:38 pm on 10 July 2019.
Thank you for that answer. Obviously, this is something that isn't just a matter for the Trefnydd, because, clearly, a lot of the budget is spent by the education Minister, by the health Minister, et cetera. I'm aware that the National Procurement Service is trying to get more bids from local businesses, both to reduce food miles as well as to improve the freshness of food, which is obviously the area that I'm particularly keen to explore with you.
I know, for example, that one local supplier, Castell Howell, in your constituency, has secured over 40 per cent of the public procurement contracts for food for our hospitals, schools and nursing homes. However, only 18 per cent of what they actually deliver is Wales-sourced. So, there's obviously a great deal more work to do on this and Carmarthenshire and Caerphilly seem to be at the vanguard of ensuring all our schoolchildren are able to eat fresh food rather than it coming from goodness knows where. For example, Woosnam Dairies, a milk producer, started off delivering all the milk to the primary schools in Caerphilly and is now delivering to the NHS as well as two other local authorities. So, it's a good example of how starting small can enable a business to grow, and be good for the public services we're endeavouring to offer, but also for ensuring that more food is grown locally. So, in light of the possibility of a 'no deal' Brexit, which could completely disrupt our food security, what plans does the Government have to spread and scale this good practice, which means getting more fresh food grown in Wales?