3. Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Procurement Update

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:20 pm on 25 January 2022.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 3:20, 25 January 2022

Next week, I'm going to be visiting an organic beef and sheep farm in the First Minister's constituency, which I'm much looking forward to. You won't be surprised to know that I'll be raising, with the Farmers Union of Wales officers who are going to be there, what we can do to grow more fruit and vegetables in Wales, which at the moment we currently import, which means they're less fresh and less nutritious. So, in light of the words of Rachel Lewis-Davies from the National Farmers Union, that farmers will grow anything where there is a market, what are we doing to help local authorities break down their procurement needs, particularly with free school meals for all primary schools in mind, so that contracts can be let in bite-sized chunks? Because we don't want all the business going to one particular business; we want to ensure that we have local markets and farmers being able to feed into particular needs for, say, two or three schools until they can expand their business further. But they're not—. How are you going to do this, given that it's not like turning on the tap, and you've got to plan these things? It seems to me that's quite a challenge for the public procurement Bill, which I look forward to scrutinising in the Equality and Social Justice Committee.