Alan Reid, Liberal Democrat MP for Argyll & Bute, called on Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to appoint a Supermarket Ombudsman as soon as possible with powers to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) to ensure fair prices for both producers and consumers.

Mr Reid said,

“I was pleased when, in August, the Competition Commission recommended to Lord Mandelson that he appoint a Supermarket Ombudsman to oversee GSCOP. However, the Government have so far taken no action. Recent cuts in the farmgate milk price make this appointment more urgent. An Ombudsman is need to investigate the huge gap between the price that farmers receive for their milk compared to the price on the supermarket shelves. The dairy farming industry will not survive unless farmers get a fair price for their milk."