Grogan calls for supermarket code of practice

John Grogan MP has called on supermarkets to come up with a code of practice against irresponsible promotions, in a Parlaimentarty debate today.

After labelling Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco, as the "godfather of binge-drinking", he called on him and other supermarket bosses to abandon the practice of below-cost selling of alcohol.

"Beer is being sold below the cost of water. It is not baked beans we are talking about here; there has to be a totally different attitide. So I would call on the supermarkets to abandon the practice of below-cost selling and also to work out a code of practice against irresponsible promotions, similar to the one the pub industry operates under," he said.

Eric Illsley, MP for Barnsley, also lent his voice to the debate: "Pricing is artificially depressed in supermarkets and I want to see some kind of re-balance between the supermarkets and the pubs and clubs, which are suffering."

He also railed against the "hypocrisy" of the national press. "The Daily Mail has long campaigned against binge-drinking and yet it carries adverts for cheap supermarket deals," he said.

The debate, which is examining the health consequences of the availability of cheap alcohol, also saw health minister Ben Bradshaw, telling the House of Commons that the government would be prepared to change the law on the practice of below-cost selling of alcohol, dependent on the results of an independent review.

The review is due to conclude next summer.