FOOD AND DRINK EXPORTS

That this House praises record levels of UK food and drink exports, boosted by strong performances in all product categories, as published by the Food and Drink Federation as part of World Trade Week UK; welcomes the data showing that exports were worth £9.23 billion in 2008, up 20 per cent. in value terms on the year before; recognises that UK food and drink manufacturers have built a strong international reputation for quality and innovation over many years, that the sector continues to perform strongly on the export stage, despite challenging global circumstances; and acknowledges this success as further evidence of the importance of the food and drink sector to the overall UK economy.