Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability in dairy supply chains.

Defra is committed to delivering this Government’s ambition to support British farmers to boost Britain’s food security. Central to achieving this ambition will be pursuing the right approach to fairness across the supply chain.

The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations (2024) came into force for new contracts on 9 July 2024 and will apply to all existing contracts from 9 July 2025. These Regulations will enhance transparency in the dairy supply chain, ensuring that contracts are agreed in writing, are clear on a range of important terms including pricing and termination, and cannot be altered without mutual agreement.

The Regulations will be enforced by the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA), who can exercise powers to investigate relevant complaints.