Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many complaints to the Groceries Code Adjudicator by farmers have been (a) made and (b) upheld to date. [201941]

Jenny Willott, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs: The responsibilities of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA)—as set out in the Groceries Code Adjudicator Act 2013—do not extend to acting as a complaints body. No formal complaints of the type described have therefore been received.

The Adjudicator has, however, received representations from many farmers concerning their experiences when dealing with the large retailers covered by the GCA regime; and information provided by farmers and by other suppliers will help to inform the GCA's future activities.

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