I am concerned with providing a market for small producers. This summer, it was sad to see some of our local supermarkets stocking asparagus from abroad when British fields were filled with a much tastier home product. Your approach to the issue of large v small is simplistic. And you fail to take into consideration the business case. But, I think it is important to point out at this stage that BRC represents the interest of the large, medium and small retailers and has a vested interest in seeing them all prosper and flourish.
Diversity is a strength.
Supermarkets adhere rigidly to PPG 6 and 13 as interpreted through local development plans. The bottom line is that they are sticking to the guidance and local planning policies. We have the toughest planning regime in the European Union and it has been toughened twice since the introduction of PPG 6. Equally untrue is the criticism that supermarkets have created food deserts. In most of these areas the problems of exclusion pre-date the growth in the expansion of supermarkets in the 80s and early 90s.