Fairtrade Fortnight

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 5:15 pm on 3 March 2010.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Rt Hon Jack McConnell Rt Hon Jack McConnell Labour 5:15, 3 March 2010

I have been contacted by a number of schools where pupils who were involved in the establishment of school tuck shops that would have sold Fairtrade products as part of a co-ordinated effort in the school to motivate youngsters and make an impact were prohibited from selling some Fairtrade products because they conflicted with national guidelines—because, for example, they contained chocolate. That demotivated those youngsters and drove them away from the good ends that we are concerned with rather than towards them. Will Linda Fabiani join me in asking ministers to consider the national guidelines to see whether they contain sufficient flexibility to enable those schools to meet the objectives of healthy eating while promoting fair trade?