§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to ensure any reference of supermarkets to the MMC includes a request that the investigation considers the commercial relationships between supermarkets and (i) farmers and (ii) growers.[80583]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Director General of Fair Trading announced on 8 April that he had referred supermarkets to the Competition Commission. The terms of reference are a matter for him. In his press notice (a copy of which is in the Library of the House) announcing the reference the Director General identified as one important issue the 263W nature of the relationship between the multiples and their suppliers, including agricultural producers and the ways in which buyer power is exerted.