George Robertson tells MPs about troops' meals

Defence Secretary George Robertson told MPs at Question Time that the move followed his proposal to the European Commission to be allowed access to stockpiles of intervention stocks "at competitive prices".

The use of domestically-reared cattle to provide meat for service men and women serving at home slumped to just 13% after the BSE crisis.

Mr Robertson's announcement was greeted by murmurs of support from all sides.

Troops overseas are still unable to have British beef because of the EU's continuing worldwide ban on British beef exports, Mr Robertson added.

Kidney's lamb

David Kidney, Stafford MP, asked whether the same could be said for British lamb.

The minister replied that he hoped British lamb would soon be supplied to British troops but urgent discussions were still going on with the farming industry and Meat and Livestock Commission.

"We will make sure that we use every effort possible to make sure that the maximum amount of British lamb is put on British forces' plates," he pledged.

Tory Robert Key welcomed the announcement but wanted to know why the lamb negotiations were taking so long.