Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make it his policy to prohibit companies from requiring a supplier company to make a payment in order to join or to remain on that company's list of suppliers.

The Government has already taken action to prohibit this practice in certain sectors. The statutory Grocery Supply Code prohibits payments as a condition of stocking or listing a supplier’s grocery products.

We are currently consulting on extent of the problem and on whether Government should take further action with respect to supplier lists.