Topical debate: Food industry competitiveness

22 January 2010

Jim Fitzpatrick, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), opened a topical debate on food industry competitiveness.

Mr Fitzpatrick drew attention to two main issues:

  • the Government's new food strategy, Food 2030, published earlier in January
  • the Government's new Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) which comes into force on 4 February, to be followed by a consultation on how best to enforce the new code

Topical debates lasting 90 minutes take place in the Commons every week. They focus on issues of regional, national or international importance and were introduced following recommendations made by the Modernisation Committee in 2007.

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