HIDDEN COSTS OF FOODS

Early day motion 848, tabled 8 March 2005 by Alan Meale (Labour). Signed by 45 members.

That this House is concerned about recent Government statistics which have revealed the true hidden costs of producing and transporting food to and from supermarkets in the UK; is alarmed that in the UK 28 per cent., 1.6 billion tonnes, of road freight is either food or produce carried over ever-increasing distances; notes that although the nation exports 7.4 million tonnes of food each year, it imports more than 12 million tonnes over the same period at the same time that huge subsidies are paid to financially interested parties and large areas of agricultural land lay fallow; and calls on the Government to act swiftly to end such costly subsidies and to devise and introduce a more sensible strategy which encourages local food sale and production, organic farming and the transfer of food transport from long-haul road and air freight to rail and water distribution.

Signatures by party: Labour 31, Liberal Democrat 9, Labour/Co-operative 2, Conservative 1, Plaid Cymru 1, UUP 1.