Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure the continuation of the independent Groceries Code Adjudicator; and whether they plan to extend the role to allow the adjudicator to open an investigation on their own initiative.

The Government is currently undertaking the third statutory review of the effectiveness of the Groceries Code Adjudicator in enforcing the Groceries Supply Code of Practice and is considering the results of the public consultation that ended on 11 October. The consultation sought views on a range of issues including abolishing the GCA, transferring the GCA functions to another public body and whether the GCA has sufficient powers. The Government will carefully consider the views and evidence received and our conclusions will be published and a report laid before Parliament in due course.