What happens if retailers refuse to agree to the new Ombudsman?
The Competition Commission has the powers that it needs to implement the new Code of Practice. However it does not have the powers it needs to implement the proposed new Ombudsman without the supermarkets’ agreement. The Commission will ask the supermarkets to voluntarily support the Ombudsman. If they fail to do so the Commission will refer the implementation to the Government – the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). We are calling on the government to publicly support the Commission’s findings now and to ensure that the Ombudsman is created with sufficient powers to implement the new Code and deter bad practice.
