Voluntary Code of Practice in the dairy sector: Government responds
4 September 2013
Publication of Government Response — The Voluntary Code of Practice in the dairy sector
The Welsh Affairs Committee will publish its Third Special Report for Session 2013-14, HC 635 on The Voluntary Code of Practice in the dairy sector, at 10.00 hrs on Wednesday 11 September 2013.
Government response now published
The Government has responded to the Committee’s recommendations as set out in its report (PDF 1.30 MB), published in May.
The Committee’s key conclusions were:
• The new voluntary code of practice is an important step forward to redress the balance in the contractual relationship between dairy producer and purchaser. The Committee urges all dairy processors who have not yet signed the voluntary code to do so.
• The code must be given time to work. The UK Government should set out precisely when and how it intends to measure the success or failure of the voluntary code.
• Should the voluntary code fail in its objectives, the UK Government must legislate for a statutory code of contracts in the dairy industry. The Committee prefers such a measure to be taken in co-operation with the Welsh Government, in the spirit of the joint working that has taken place since the summer 2012 crisis.
Copies of the Report can be ordered from The Stationery Office (Tel: 0845 702 3474) or from the Parliamentary Bookshop (Tel: 020 7219 3890). It can also be viewed on our website from the day of publication at: http://www.parliament.uk/welshcom
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