Thousands of people in the West Country are this morning sitting down to a fried breakfast with sausages and bacon made from good wholesome British pork.

It may not seem a particular luxury, but thousands of miles away our troops on the frontline are not always afforded the same simple pleasure.

Now one West MP has called for that to change, so that when our troops enjoy their full English breakfasts and bacon sarnies they are made with meat from British pigs.

The Devizes Conservative MP Claire Perry has a track record of supporting British pork, warning of the problems facing pig farmers in her constituency.

She believes their difficulties could be eased if the Ministry of Defence took a more patriotic approach to buying food.

Ms Perry said she had discovered to her horror under the previous Labour government less than one per cent of the bacon served to our Armed Forces was British.

She has now stepped up her campaign, telling Agriculture Minister Jim Paice troubles faced by pig farmers are acute in her constituency.

"Does he agree that if we are to do what we say as a Government and help British farmers, we should put our money where our mouth is and encourage the public sector to buy British?" she asked in the Commons.

Mr Paice told her he agreed and Ministers would very shortly publish Government buying standards – but it turned out this may not bring home the bacon as far as British pig farmers are concerned.

"They will require all of central Government to purchase food produced to British standards wherever that can be done without extra cost, which should not really come into it," he added.

"I must tell her that we are working very hard on the specific issue of bacon and the Armed Forces with the British Pig Executive and the Ministry of Defence.

"We face some specific challenges relating not only to the specification but to the quantity that the MoD needs and the fact that everything needs to be frozen.

"Trials have been done using sow bacon and other things, but we are still working on the challenge."

Monmouth Tory MP David Davies raised the issue of another key ingredient of a traditional fry-up, the egg.

"Will the Minister consider ensuring that the public sector buys only eggs that have been produced to EU standards when the new legislation banning battery cages has been implemented?"

Mr Paice told him the Government buying guidelines would include a requirement to purchase only food produced to British standards, but he admitted: "That does not mean that it has to be British."

He added: "From January 1 next year, no British eggs will be from traditional cages. They will all be from enriched or better systems."

Ms Perry earlier this month showed her support for British pig farmers, attending a rally in Westminster and signing a petition handed in to 10 Downing Street.

She said then: "My constituency of Devizes used to be world-famous for pig breeding and processing but is now down to only a handful of commercial pig farmers."

The industry's future is in doubt because of soaring feed grain prices, which have risen by 30 per cent, and a consistent fall in the price paid for a finished pig.

The National Pig Association has recently launched a banner blitz, with farmers across the West displaying signs urging people to buy British pork.