---

Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

The amendments are acceptable to the Government but they are not necessary for the Bill. The Sustainable Development Strategy was launched on 9 May. It is a day that I remember well because the Secretary of State did the launch at the Odyssey in Belfast. I flew in to wind up the launch, not knowing whether I was coming or going that day. The strategy included a commitment to the purchase of fair trade products across government in Northern Ireland. This is a fairly new development—it is only a few weeks old. The new procurement guidance on fair trade has been issued to the Northern Ireland public sector. The guidance will apply to all new contracts with suppliers and will ensure that all new catering contracts require firms to provide fair trade products for internal meetings, conferences and hospitality. Fair trade goods will also be available as an option to be purchased by staff in public buildings. This measured approach fully meets our procurement requirements, particularly in relation to the EU rules and the UK regulations, and it is also in harmony with furthering wider sustainable development policy objectives. Therefore, the amendments to the clause are unnecessary as we are already doing what they would achieve. In fact, the suggested form of the amendments would not do anything further to promote the use of fair trade products in the public sector than we are already doing. Indeed, to be slightly negative, adopting such a blanket approach might raise potential legal issues in respect of restrictive or anti-competitive practices. In the Sustainable Development Strategy we have met all those tests, so it is not subject to any arguments about restrictive or anti-competitive practices. However, I am at one with the noble Lord in bringing forward the policy because we wholly agree with it, but it is simply the case that it is not necessary to amend the Bill in the way that he envisages.