Supermarket Code of Practice

HC Deb 24 March 2004 vol 419 cc852-3W

Mr. Llwyd

To ask, the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Minister of the National Assembly on the effectiveness of the Supermarket Code of Practice; and if he will make a statement. [162510]

Mr. Touhig

Responsibility for monitoring the Supermarket Code of Practice rests with the Office of Fair Trading. It published its first annual review of the operation of the Code on 20 February 2004. The review found a widespread belief among suppliers that the Code was not working effectively. However, suppliers did not provide any hard evidence to support their view. The Office of Fair Trading is therefore carrying out a further compliance audit to establish how supermarkets deal with suppliers under the Code.