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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the challenges faced by suppliers to UK groceries retailers in the current climate of rising input costs, in light of reports of increased retailer non-compliance with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.

The Government has noted that the results of the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s (GCA) 2022 Groceries Sector Survey suggest an increase in Groceries Code non-compliance and we encourage suppliers to raise concerns, in confidence, with the Adjudicator.

The Government welcomes the seven golden rules that the GCA has published to help retailers consider cost price increase requests from suppliers efficiently and fairly.

The third statutory review of the GCA’s effectiveness in enforcing the Code is currently underway and the Secretary of State’s report on the review will be published and laid before Parliament in due course.