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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to meet with farming unions and industry groups who formally declined to submit evidence to the Groceries Code Adjudicator Review.

The public consultation for the Review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) ran from 18 October 2016 to 10 January 2017. During this period BEIS officials undertook several, widely publicised stakeholder events across the UK and met with a range of organisations and individuals to explain the purpose of the Review, how to respond and hear the views of those stakeholders who attended.

We have not been made aware of any groups who formally declined to submit evidence, but welcome the opportunity to discuss the Review more widely and would encourage such groups to contact BEIS if they would find this helpful.