Government urged to set out business support for second virus spike

“This is something the Government really does need to think about now, because if you knew that provision might be available, you would be a lot more confident about building back up.”

Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA), also said the Government needed to ‘signal its intentions’ well in advance of any second peak.

“Speaking for a part of the sector which supplies product further on down the supply chain, you need advance warning,” he said.

“If we get a second spike, we have to adapt, but laying out a clear plan will help the supply chain plan for it.”

Failing

James Bielby, chief executive of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors, who was also giving evidence to the committee, raised a broader concern about the Government failing to set out a detailed plan for the food service sector to exit the current lockdown.

“Any guidance in terms of the roadmap with staging posts to say which types of the market will be reopening first, and in what way, would help the supply chain to be ready,” he said.

“It is not just a case of saying ‘in four weeks we are going live’. That would be the worst possible outcome, because businesses need time to prepare. Going all at once at the same time would mean nobody would get a sufficient supply of food.”