Headlines
test test
Share:


Did you find this story interesting?     (0) (0)

08/02/2012 14:45:27

Adjudicator bill needed ’urgently’ to police grocery supply chains



The NFU has called on the Government to bring forward a Bill to establish a Groceries Code Adjudicator as a matter of urgency.

The Groceries Supply Code of Practice came into force two years ago this month, in February 2010, but still no monitoring or enforcement body has been put in place.

NFU Head of Government Affairs Nick Von Westenholz said: ’While we await the introduction of a GSCOP Adjudicator, we continue to hear of suppliers being squeezed ever tighter by the major supermarkets, damaging the long terms prospects of primary producers, as well as the interests of consumers.

’The Coalition Government has committed to introducing an Adjudicator and last year published a draft Bill setting out its proposals. We have some concerns about the powers that will be available to the Adjudicator and have made clear to the government how we believe the Bill can be improved.

’However, without an actual Bill, these arguments are entirely academic. It is no secret that the House of Commons is currently under-employed with regard to the amount of legislation passing through the Chamber. The NFU believes that, given the cross-party support for the Adjudicator, and the fact that two select committees of MPs have already examined the draft Bill, there is no reason the formal Bill can’t be introduced during the final months of the current Parliamentary session.





Farming items for Sale

Related News

 Marine Bill ’poses threat to shooting’ - 24 Apr 2012
The Marine Bill, which was introduced to improve marine nature conservation, has attracted criticism from BASC for failing to take shooting interests ...

 Fair play in grocery supply chain needed EU-wide - 24 Apr 2012
A new report has backed up calls for an effective adjudicator to police the UK Groceries Supply Chain Code of Practice. It concludes that the inte...

 UK gov’t ’needs to encourage’ fresh produce diet - 07 Feb 2012
The latest 2011 Freshfel Consumption Monitor confirms that both the UK Government and fresh produce industry needs to do a lot more to encourage peopl...

 MP calls on gov’t to end supermarkets’ ’food fight’ - 22 Feb 2012
Andrew George, MP for West Cornwall, St. Ives and Isles of Scilly, is today renewing his calls for the Government to stop ’wasting time’ i...

 NFU heralds Groceries Adjudicator Bill - 11 May 2012
News that third parties will be able to take complaints from suppliers to the newly created Groceries Code Adjudicator will bring "huge relief&qu...

 Antibiotics in livestock ’threatens humans’ - 27 Mar 2009
THE Government’s chief medical officer has warned that heavy use of antibiotics in livestock farming, as well as in general medicine, is a threa...

 Milk Link announces ’special’ investment - 30 Mar 2009
Milk Link has announced a major new investment at its Reece’s crumbly cheese creamery, in Malpas, Cheshire. The £1 million project will see the ...

 ’Absolutely no justification’ - 02 Apr 2009
The NFU has reiterated its strong opposition to proposals which could increase meat inspection charges at abattoirs across England and Wales by as muc...

 RPA sets ’best ever’ payments record - 21 Dec 2011
The highest ever proportion of Single Payment Scheme (SPS) payments were released by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) this month, Agriculture Minister ...

 Record bid challenge’s shearing’s Everest - 13 Jan 2012
One of the greatest tallies ever shorn in a New Zealand woolshed will be challenged in a two-man World record bid in the King Country on Wednesday. ...