3rd Special Report - The Voluntary Code of Practice in the dairy sector: Government Response to the Committee's First Report of Session 2013–14

This is the government's response, published 11 September 2013.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government says it agrees with the Committee's conclusions on the voluntary Code, but declines to set a fixed government review date and prefers non-legislative solutions.

• On adoption, it agrees concerns have been raised about delays and continues to "press for the broadest adoption and implementation" of the Code by processors "without undue delay".
• On measuring success, it says a fixed government review date "will not be helpful" and that the industry is "best placed" to measure the Code's success, through its annual review process.
• On legislation, it maintains that if the Code fails to deliver desired outcomes, "the possibility of legislating for compulsory contracts will be seriously considered"; it "strongly prefer[s]" non-legislative solutions.
• On milk pricing, it is "supportive of any initiative that creates greater transparency", but says it is "not for Government to get involved" in price discussions, price regulation or the precise detail of contracts.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error