Business minister Ed Davey unveiled a draft bill for the establishment of a long-promised groceries code adjudicator today.
“I am pleased to set out…how and where the adjudicator is to be established, its role, duties and functions and how it is to be funded,” said Davey. “The government recognises that our supermarkets serve UK consumers well and make an important contribution to the economy. The adjudicator will have a very specific and defined role to ensure the Groceries Supply Code of Practice is adhered to.”
The draft details the proposed functions of the adjudicator as arbitration, investigation, enforcement and, advice and guidance. One of the fundamental principles of the adjudicator will be its ability to investigate complaints and maintain confidentiality of complainants. The draft also proposes that if the requirement on retailers to publish information about any breaches of the code is not a sufficient deterrent, then government will consider introducing financial penalties.
Other key points in the draft bill include that the adjudicator will be funded by retailers, and be co-located with the Office of Fair Trading and share its back office functions.
