Land Covenants: Supermarket Chains

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Excerpts

Wednesday 4th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Stockwood (Lab)]

I share some of the views that the noble Lord put over. As I have learned from my 20-plus years in business, the role of government is to set the regulatory conditions so that business can do the work in growing the economy. What we are seeing from the Government is a commitment to reduce the regulatory burden overall. Our Regulation Action Plan commits to reducing the £22 billion annual burden by 25%. There are reforms in place, and the unlocking business consultation means that we will take direct feedback from the market. It is beholden on us to ensure we set the conditions for businesses to thrive, while also ensuring that we have the right regulation in place so that we do not see the abuses of power that have been suggested by these particularly restrictive covenants.

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the CMA also has a role to play in looking at the work of the Groceries Code Adjudicator? There is a great imbalance of power between the big supermarkets and the very small horticultural businesses and fruit growers in this country. Does he agree that it would be better if the Groceries Code Adjudicator could take an own-initiative inquiry off its own bat, rather than waiting for a producer to come forward with a complaint? That producer could so easily be identified and possibly lose their contract with the supermarket.

[Lord Stockwood (Lab)]

In my relative newness to government, I thank the noble Baroness for her questions. Overall, it is correct that the CMA’s regulatory framework should have independence. I would love to pick up that discussion outside the Chamber; I do not know the detail of that, but it sounds like an important thing that we should follow up on.