"Where is the supermarkets fine money going?" - Farron

3.00.00pm GMT Tue 11th Dec 2007

Local MP Tim Farron has today tabled a parliamentary question to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, John Hutton to ask whether the farming industry will see any of the £126 million fine handed to Sainsbury's and Tesco, as well as other big dairy producers last week.

The price fixing of which the supermarkets were found guilty is said to have cost the farming industry and the consumer around £270 million.

Tim Farron said:

"Given the extent to which farmers bore the cost of this price fixing it only seems fair that they are compensated. The Government has systematically refused to compensate farmers for the foot and mouth outbreak last summer, even though it was triggered from a Government run institution.

"Since then, the supermarkets have also taken advantage of the weakened position of the farming industry by forcing poverty-rates on farmers while still charging huge mark-ups on the supermarket shelves."

ENDS