Summary
The public sector in England spends around £2 billion per
year on food and catering services, including in schools, hospitals and armed
forces bases.
This Report from the House of Commons Committee of
Public Accounts
‘Smarter
Food Procurement in the Public Sector’ (HC 357) follows on from a
National Audit Office (NAO) report also entitled
‘Smarter
Food Procurement in the Public Sector’ (HC 963-I) published in March
2006, which found that the public sector could achieve efficiency gains of
£224 million by 2010-11. The NAO Report was accompanied by
‘Case
Studies’ (HCP 963-II) and a
‘Good
Practice Guide’ (HCP 963-III).
This Select Committee Report
examines how public sector organisations can improve their food procurement
practices in order to reduce costs whilst maintaining the quality of meals
provided.
It focuses on the organisations responsible for the three largest areas of
public food expenditure: the Department for Education and Skills, the Ministry
of Defence and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.
The report finds
that the public sector could achieve efficiency gains of over £220 million by
2010-11 through a range of actions including:
- Obtaining more
competitive prices for the same food items Increasing levels of joint
purchasing
- Developing frontline procurement and catering expertise
- Increasing levels of take-up, particularly in the school meals sector.
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