Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much funding the Grocery Code Adjudicator received (a) from the Government and (b) in total in each year from 2019 to 2022.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Information on the funding of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is set out in the Adjudicator’s Annual Report and Accounts which is published and laid before Parliament each year.
The GCA is funded through a levy on the designated retailers which is approved annually by the Secretary of State. The total levy imposed each year from 2018/19 was:
2018/2019 - £2 million
2019/2020 - £2 million
2020/2021 - £2 million
2021/2022 - £1.9 million
2022/2023 – £2 million
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many people worked in the Grocery Code Adjudicator in each year since 2019.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Information on the staffing of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is set out in the Adjudicator’s Annual Report and Accounts which is published and laid before Parliament each year.
The GCA does not employ its own staff but may make arrangements for staff to be seconded from any other public authority. It can also obtain support from temporary contractors. The numbers of secondees to the GCA at 31 March in each year since 2019 were as follows:
2018/2019 – 6 secondees
2019/2020 – 6 secondees
2020/2021 – 4 secondees
2021/2022 – 7 secondees
2022/2023 – 7 secondees
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many British food brands (a) have been granted and (b) are awaiting geographical indication status in Japan since the Government agreed a free trade deal with that country.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) entered into effect on 1 January 2021, and secured protection for 7 of the most economically valuable UK Geographical Indications (GIs) from day one.
The department is having positive discussions with the Japanese government on completing the process of registering GIs and adding them to our agreement text. We look forward to seeing progress soon, though as these discussions are live it would be inappropriate to comment on specific timescales.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent estimate she has made of the average waiting time for British food brands to be granted geographical indication status in Japan.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) entered into effect on 1 January 2021, and secured protection for 7 of the most economically valuable UK Geographical Indications (GIs) from day one.
The department is having positive discussions with the Japanese government on completing the process of registering GIs and adding them to our agreement text. We look forward to seeing progress soon, though as these discussions are live it would be inappropriate to comment on specific timescales.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of retail crime on the price of goods.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No assessment has been made.