Government asks stores to stockpile food

[Metroland]

Ministers are in talks with supermarkets about emergency food reserves in case fuel protests lead to shortages at shops.

The government wants to ensure retailers and suppliers can continue to sell basics such as meat, bread and milk if hauliers bring the country to a halt.

They have asked supermarkets to make contingency plans “in case the infrastructure of the country breaks down”.

The move comes as hauliers warn that direct action over soaring fuel prices is a “very strong possibility”.

Until the early 1990s the government held secret food stocks, typically biscuits, flour and other dry foodstuffs, in grain sheds around the country. It now relies on retailers and suppliers to have plans in place.

Normally supermarkets operate on the basis of “just in time” deliveries, designed to cut waste by ensuring supplies just match demand. The government is keen to ensure stocks of essentials do not run out if the system is derailed because lorries cannot make their usual deliveries.

Tesco, which has played a key part in the discussions, wants the government to allow it and other suppliers to sit in on the cabinet’s emergency committee, Cobra, in the event of a crisis.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4276490.ece

 

[Mojo]

If the Government hadn't continued, or in some cases, increased our reliance on lorry journeys for consumer goods, our food bills wouldn't be increasing as rapidly (of course a large part of it is due to global rises in demand).

What I would like to see for the future is an expanded Railfreight network which connects to our major factories, warehouses and ports, linked to a number of freight consolidation centres outside cities and groups of towns, where goods can be transferred onto lower powered lorries for short journeys (perhaps powered by alternative fuels), or on to current and future urban tram networks (perhaps using the same idea as the CarGoTram).

 

[Andrew Tiffin]

I don't know about Marks & Spencer Simply Food stores shortages.

 

[richa2002]

I don't know about Marks & Spencer Simply Food stores shortages.

Omg, can your posts get more pointless?

 

[mbonwick]

Mr Brown. You are the Weakest Link. Goodbye

 

[Andrew Tiffin]

You don't like Gordon Brown, mbonwick.

 

[D306]

Whatever gave you that idea?

 

[Guinness]

Whatever gave you that idea?

Regardless of where the idea came from, YOU don't like and will never will like Gordon Brown, mbonwick.

 

[Mojo]

Does anyone like Gordon?

 

[Mintona]

I'm sure he's a nice enough man. Just not our best ever leader....

Supermarkets all have their own distribution sections of the business, for example Morrisons has hundreds of lorries on the road each day, so they pay the fuel prices not the truckers, so surely there won't be a shortage of food? If Morrisons are thinking of asking their drivers to strike, then surely these talks wouldn't be necessary anyway?