On 1 November the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it had designated two additional retailers to be covered by the Code. I welcomed this announcement and the opportunity to build on the strong progress I have made for groceries suppliers since 2013. I have already held an introductory meeting to which the Code Compliance Officers (CCOs) of the additional designated retailers were invited. Next steps will be to work with them on overall compliance with the Code.

I need suppliers to speak up and tell me about their experiences with these retailers so that I can pursue any specific issues. Email me at Enquiries@GroceriesCode.gov.uk or call 020 3738 6537. You can also speak to me at events I attend over coming months (details later in this newsletter). Any information I receive will be treated in full confidence. As with the original 10 designated retailers I encourage suppliers to raise issues with the relevant CCOs and you can find details of how to contact the CCOs.

Following the progress made by the original 10 regulated retailers and the addition of two new ones I have decided to make a small change to my working so during 2019 I will hold three rather than four meetings with each CCO. Please continue to look out for the published record of those meetings.

The CMA will now consider designation on a yearly basis and I would encourage suppliers to contact the CMA directly if they believe there are other retailers that should come under the Code.

Meetings with audit chairs

I have just completed a round of meetings with the chairs of the audit committees of the original 10 regulated retailers. I view these as a significant part of my work because making progress on Code-related issues has meant securing culture change supported from the top. These meetings have proved very valuable and I am pleased with the level of support I have received from the audit chairs who recognise the risk to their businesses if they are not compliant with the Code.

During these meetings I also shared themes that emerged from the 2017/18 annual compliance reports which the retailers produce. I am pleased that retailers are doing more to capture potential Code issues within their businesses and I continue to encourage them to be more open and transparent about how they comply with the Code by putting more information in the public domain.

Training

As we are nearing the end of 2018, I want to ask suppliers to make a resolution for 2019 and that is to ensure they are fully trained in the Code. Becoming Code Confident by understanding the Code and how I interpret it is so important for grocery suppliers and yet there are still too many who have not undertaken training. It could prove to be one of your best investments next year. I publish a list of all the training providers I am aware of on my website.

Warmest wishes for a successful holiday season.

Christine Tacon

Top Issues

The GCA continues to monitor the progress being made by the original ten designated retailers on the issues of delay in payments, forecasting and promotions.

Retailers have done a lot of work in this area but delay in payments was the most reported issue by suppliers in the last annual survey. The GCA has worked with them to implement the changes required following the investigation into Tesco plc as well as encouraging them to put in place systems and processes to minimise the risk of delay in payments arising from drop and drive. Other changes to systems and supply chain practices have been made based on anonymous feedback from suppliers that the GCA has received. The GCA needs to hear from suppliers whether these changes are making a difference or if they are experiencing any new issues.

In June this year the GCA published a revised best practice statement on forecasting; this also included the issue of promotions. The revisions reflected the GCA’s previously stated view that there will almost always be some circumstances in which compensation for inaccurate forecasting is appropriate, so a blanket exclusion in a supply agreement would be unlikely to be compliant with the Code. The GCA has also made clear that the due care test is unlikely to have been met if a retailer did not provide a way for a supplier to contribute to the forecasting process and also encouraged retailers to consider the extent to which they might offer compensation for inaccurate forecasting. The points in relation to the issue of promotions largely reflect where retailers could improve their processes and are based on the practical experiences that suppliers have shared with the GCA. Again, please let the GCA know how this best practice statement is being followed by the retailers.

We will also be working with the two additional designated retailers on all the Top Issues which the GCA has considered.

Save the date

• 17 to 20 March 2019 – International Food & Drink Event at ExCel, London
  The GCA will be attending the International Food and Drink Event at London’s leading exhibition centre. Come and meet Christine Tacon and the team and hear Christine speak on 19 March. Check out the programme on www.ife.co.uk.

• 20 to 21 March 2019 – TasteWales Conference in Newport Members of the GCA team will attend the TasteWales Conference held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport between 20th and 21st March and will be happy to answer your questions about the Groceries Code.

• 24 June 2019 – GCA Annual Conference in London The GCA will present her annual report and new work programme at the 2019 conference at Church House in Westminster. As in previous years YouGov will also announce the results of the GCA’s annual survey. Further details including a registration form will be published on the GCA website in spring 2019.

Invite the Adjudicator and her team to your event

The Adjudicator and her team are keen to attend as many supplier events as our diary allows. If your organisation is planning an event then please contact Enquiries@GroceriesCode.gov.uk to discuss whether we can attend. It would be helpful if you could provide full details of the event including timing and location as well as the audience involved.

New email address

The GCA’s email has changed. Please make sure you use the new address that ends in @GroceriesCode.gov.uk. Enquiries should be directed to Enquiries@GroceriesCode.gov.uk. At the end of 2018, emails sent to the old address will no longer be forwarded.

Michael Rich, currently an executive director at Chesterfield Borough Council in Derbyshire, will lead the national law enforcement and compliance agency charged with protecting vulnerable people from exploitation when he takes up his post in early January.

He will be charged with:

• the delivery of the GLAA’s responsibilities for the national modern slavery agenda, providing leadership and direction to the workforce
• working co-operatively at a senior level with other enforcement agencies and a wider range of bodies, including the police and local authorities, to address offending behaviour by rogue businesses
• working with other enforcement bodies and the Director of Labour Market Enforcement to improve enforcement bodies’ coordinated handling of enforcement work

Michael Rich said:

I am hugely excited to be joining the GLAA, it’s an organisation that is doing phenomenal work to protect vulnerable people. I am looking forward to joining colleagues and playing my part in helping prevent and detect labour exploitation.

His previous experience includes, spending 4 years with the Homes and Communities Agency that funds government housing programmes.

Meanwhile, Margaret Beels will take up her role as chair today (Wednesday 12 December). She has been in the position since 2011 and has been appointed for a further 2 years following a competitive recruitment process.

Her responsibilities include:

• providing strategic leadership for the operation of the GLAA
• ensuring the GLAA and its staff maintain the capability to deliver the organisation’s statutory responsibilities
• maintaining and developing effective partnerships at a strategic level with key bodies

She has previously overseen the expansion of the GLAA into a body with powers to investigate a wide range of labour market offences including non-payment of the minimum wage and modern slavery.

Margaret Beels said:

The GLAA’s mission to protect vulnerable and exploited workers is increasingly important. I am proud to have been asked to continue as Chair of the Board which has oversight of this vital work.

The GLAA is a national law enforcement and compliance agency charged with protecting vulnerable people from exploitation. Its broad remit covers the entire labour market and it works closely with the Police, law enforcement and other agencies and strategic partners to protect vulnerable and exploited workers.

For more information visit the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority website.

Forty-four budding young engineers were the guests of honour at a special reception at the House of Commons on Wednesday 12 December (2018), where they showcased their award-winning engineering projects – all inspired by LEGO play.

The students are part of 5 winning teams in the Engineers of the Future competition, a robotics and coding challenge which inspired children aged 7 to 16 across the UK to get hands-on and creative with real engineering projects – like developing ideas for renewable energy or sustainable water systems.

Engineers of the Future has seen the government’s Year of Engineering campaign, LEGO Education and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) join forces to give more children around the country the opportunity to meet engineering role-models and to take part in engaging STEM activities.

The event, hosted by Stephen Metcalfe MP, which took place at the House of Commons, provided an opportunity for Parliamentarians to consider the central role of engineering to society and the importance of direct early experiences for children in inspiring and developing the engineers of tomorrow.

As part of the campaign, the Engineers of the Future roadshow visited primary schools across the UK this autumn and winter, with a focus on schools that hadn’t previously taken part in engineering activities. Led by engineers equipped with LEGO Education coding and robotic activities, the roadshow aimed to inspire children by giving them access to quality hands-on learning experiences to help them discover the exciting opportunities available to aspiring engineers.

Minister for the Year of Engineering Nusrat Ghani said:

Today’s event is a celebration not just of the immense promise shown by these young engineers, but also of the partnerships that have helped us bring the profession to life for so many young people throughout the Year of Engineering.

Working with LEGO Education and the Institution of Engineering of Technology, we have been able get many schoolchildren involved in engineering projects for the first time – a vital way of showing young people from all backgrounds the amazing things they could achieve as engineers.

Nigel Fine, Chief Executive of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, said:

Engineers of the Future gives young people the chance to experience engineering in action. The hands-on challenge has seen the teams develop their coding and programming skills and their aptitude for team-work, problem-solving and communication which gives a real insight into the creative and innovative careers that engineering and technology presents.

There is a great need for young people to develop and have STEM skills to fill the next generation of engineering roles. We need to ensure we are nurturing young people’s curiosity about how things work and allowing them to investigate and explore their own solutions. Inspiring young people about STEM and its many applications will set them on an exciting path that could lead to a fulfilling career in engineering and technology.

Victor Saeijs, Senior Vice President, Western Europe for the LEGO Group said:

Our core mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow, equipping children from an early age with the right skills to succeed, whatever their background or ambition.

Today’s showcase is about recognising those children and giving them a platform to share their innate creativity, passion and aptitude for STEM with decision makers. We are delighted to have supported the government on this initiative and believe it sends a clear message about the importance of investing in the development of key skills from an early age.

The engineering profession needs 203,000 skilled people each year to 2024 and has an annual shortage of 20,000 graduates. The workforce also faces a major lack of diversity – only 12% of engineers are female and just 8% come from black, Asian or minority ethnic groups. The Year of Engineering campaign has been working with more than 1,400 partners to help change this by giving young people in all corners of the UK the chance to experience engineering for themselves – from meeting engineering role models in their school to taking part in hands on activities and workshops or engineering open doors events with their families.

For more information about Engineers of the Future

Find out about the Year of Engineering, including activities, events, videos and school resources.

• Rolls Royce signs $300 million deal with Middle East Airlines to provide engines and support to new fleet of aircraft
• More than 200 Lebanese contracts open for UK companies to bid on
• Lebanese PM Saad Hariri to meet with Cabinet Ministers during visit

Senior Cabinet Ministers, including International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, will meet with Lebanese PM Saad Hariri, as he leads a delegation to the inaugural UK-Lebanon Business Investment Forum in London today.

The event saw a deal signed between Rolls Royce and Middle East Airlines (MEA), who have announced that the Airbus A330-900 will be the face of a new fleet of aircraft. The deal will see the British company providing support for the Trent 7000 engines which power the Airbus aircraft. The combined value of the engines and services to Rolls-Royce is approximately $300 million.

The economic relationship between UK and Lebanon is growing stronger, with a range of significant opportunities opening up for British companies in recent months. Lebanon’s $23bn Capital Investment Programme, with more than 200 projects in transport, power-generation and water supply is open for UK companies to bid on.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

This is great news for British business – and the largest UK-Lebanon trade deal in recent history demonstrates the strength of our ties.

Our relationship with Lebanon is hugely important – covering security, the economy and aid to support it with its refugee crisis – and today’s Forum is a vital moment to support Lebanon and celebrate our strong trade and investment links. A stable and prosperous Lebanon is vital for the wider security and stability of the Middle East.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox said:

Today’s Forum comes as the UK looks to broaden its trading relationships around the world, as we take control of our independent trade policy for the first time in 40 years.

I’m delighted to see so many opportunities for British businesses in Lebanon, and my international economic department stands ready to assist any business that wants to expand or start their export operation to the country with strong package of support.

Prime Minister Designate of Lebanon Saad Hariri said:

I look forward to the opportunity of discussing our ambitious reform and capital investment program with leaders of the UK business community.

This program entails a large participation by the private sector, and I hope today’s agreement between MEA and Rolls Royce opens the way for an increase in partnership between our two countries.

The relationship between the UK and Lebanon has never been stronger. British companies have supported infrastructure development in the country, the UK has provided assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces and investment to help create jobs. Total trade between the countries currently stands at £586m a year, with British exports making up the vast majority of this.

There is already a thriving UK business scene in Lebanon. The Port of Beirut is the busiest port in the Eastern Mediterranean thanks to the Beirut Container Terminal Consortium, a joint venture with Mersey Docks and Harbour UK. And, more Jaguars and Land Rovers are sold per head in the country than anywhere else in the world.

Today’s event aims to develop this relationship further in the context of transitioning to a new bilateral agreement with Lebanon as the UK leaves the European Union. Speakers include FCO Middle East Minister Alistair Burt, and Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner Simon Penney.

Prime Minister Hariri and the Lebanese delegation will meet with the DIT and DFID Secretaries of State and HRH the Prince of Wales, making this the most senior bilateral interaction in recent years.

Further Info:

• Just last month we welcomed the launch of a unique partnership between the UK and Lebanon: the new London Stock Exchange Group’ ELITE programme for helping Lebanese businesses attract global investors.
• The Forum will focus on elaborating the Government of Lebanon’s Vision for Stabilisation, Growth and Employment, announced at the CEDRE conference in Paris earlier this year.
• The UK welcomes the recommitment to this CEDRE economic reform vision, with its focus on improving the ease of doing business, tackling corruption, reforming the electricity sector and putting the country on a sustainable fiscal path

The second round of the Taking Teaching Further (TTF) programme has opened today (12 December) inviting bids from colleges and post-16 providers to attract industry professionals to teach in further education.

The scheme forms a key part of the Government’s wider investment in the further education sector as it prepares to introduce the first gold standard T Level qualifications from 2020 – high-quality technical courses equivalent to A levels. T Levels will provide young people with the cutting-edge skills and experience they need to secure a good job or progress into further training.

Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills Anne Milton, said:

We are transforming technical education in this country with the introduction of new T Levels from 2020, so more young people have access to high quality qualifications which include high-quality training opportunities with a clear path to skilled jobs.

The Taking Teaching Further programme will help attract talented and inspiring people with industry expertise to teach in the further education sector. These are the teachers who can inspire, energise and bring on the next generation of highly-skilled young people

I’m delighted the second round has begun and I would urge colleges and post-16 providers to apply and take advantage of this.

The first round of the £5 million scheme was launched in June to further boost the quality of the post-16 teaching workforce by bringing in more people with diverse experiences so students gain the skills and knowledge that employers demand. The 37 successful providers, who will support 80 industry professional to retrain to work as teachers in their institutions, were announced in October.

Good progress is being made to recruit and appoint these new teachers. This includes Buckinghamshire College Group, who have already recruited five teachers through the programme in priority areas such as Digital, Maths, and Childcare. More appointments are expected to be made by first round providers in the new year:

Paula Kavanagh, Senior Lead at Buckinghamshire College Group said:

The trainee teachers taking part in this project are benefitting enormously from the support they’re receiving from experienced teachers within Buckinghamshire College Group. However, this is a two-way street and the College recognises and appreciates the value of recruiting industry professionals from these hard to recruit areas. > This has enabled a professional exchange between trainee and teacher which is reciprocal and benefits everyone, not least the students.

The first application round is also funding 20 innovative projects to explore how industry and the further education sector can work together to make sure students gain the knowledge and skills businesses really need.

TTF has been designed with the Association of Colleges, and the Education and Training Foundation who are also delivering the programme on our behalf to create further links between the education sector and industry.

Steve Frampton, President of the AoC, said: > We know all too well the impact that great teachers can have on students. College staff work to transform the lives of 2.2 million people daily, so it is great that so much work is being put into the further education sector to boost the teaching workforce. We are delighted that our discussions with DfE have yielded a programme of this quality.

David Russell, Chief Executive of the ETF said: > We are delighted to be opening the second round of Taking Teaching Further which will continue to develop and build the country’s future through attracting bright industry talent into the FE sector alongside increasing collaboration between the sector and industry. > > The first round has started to set the standard for recruiting world-class teachers and trainers into FE who combine teaching excellence with hands-on industry experience. The successful second round applicants now have the opportunity to follow in their path. > > I encourage all colleges and FE providers to consider taking part in this important programme that will make a real difference to their organisations, learners and local employers.

Simon Bigrigg, Head of Teaching Academy, EKC Group, a successful applicant from strand 1, round 1 said:

As a Group we are fully committed to recruiting and retaining teaching staff in hard to fill areas, and Strand 1 of Taking Teaching Further is providing an excellent opportunity to engage and support new teachers. To date we have recruited some very promising industry professionals into teaching roles, as we are able to offer the enhanced support package provided by the scheme.

David Evans, CECAMM Managing Director, Isle of Wight College, a successful applicant from strand 2, round 1 said:

CECAMM, part of the Isle of Wight College, is delighted to have been selected for Taking Teaching Further Strand 2. Recruiting and retaining lecturing staff in Engineering has become a national issue, one which we have experienced in our first year of operation. We feel the Taking Teaching Further Project will allow us to ensure our staff feel connected with industry and that industry feel that their requirements are embedded in the Engineering curriculum.

Further information about TTF and how to apply can be found on the ETF website