Reports suggest that the Prime Minister has asked newly appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to lead a governmental committee responsible for dealing with food supply chain issues.
According to the Fresh Produce Journal, The National Economic Recovery Taskforce (Logistics), will co-ordinate across government departments, and is likely to run along similar lines to the no-deal Brexit preparations. The group is expected to look at ways of increasing the number of HGV drivers and work with food suppliers to solve the problem.
Road Haulage Association (RHA) chief executive Richard Burnett told Global Cold Chain News: “For UK food producers and suppliers, Christmas preparations began months ago. But without the number of HGV drivers needed to keep store shelves and freezers full, and with only 15 weeks to go, Christmas 2021 will look very different to previous years. But the members we represent and the industry as a whole will do all they possibly can to help because that’s what they always do. We look forward to working closely with Mr Gove and his team to achieve this monumental challenge.”
Picture Caption: Michael Gove.