JOB LOSSES AT HOVIS

That this House notes with regret Premier Foods' announcement of 900 job losses from its Hovis division and the closure of two bakeries in 2013 in Greenford in West London and Birmingham; supports the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union in its efforts to minimise compulsory redundancies and preserve jobs in that industry; further notes that Premier, which is the country's largest branded food producer, is also cutting some 130 routes from its bread distribution network, with Greenford and Birmingham also seeing their distribution centres close, along with Plymouth and Mendlesham in Suffolk; further notes that Premier Group is reported to have debts of over 1 billion; therefore calls on the Government to do everything in its capacity to ensure the continued viability and diversity of bread suppliers across the UK; and recognises that this highlights the urgent need for the passage of a strong and effective Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill, with the power to hold supermarkets to account and to fine them for below-cost selling and other practices that put jobs and the quality of products at risk.