The UK government is considering introducing a cap on essentials to help families struggling to cope with the cost-of-living crisis, according to reports.
It is believed that supermarkets would be allowed to choose which items they cap and would only take part in the scheme on a voluntary basis.
In response, Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the BRC, said: “This will not make a jot of difference to prices. High food prices are a direct result of the soaring cost of energy, transport, and labour, as well as higher prices paid to food manufacturers and farmers.
“As commodity prices drop, many of the costs keeping inflation high are now arising from the muddle of new regulation coming from government. Rather than recreating 1970s-style price controls, the government should focus on cutting red tape so that resources can be directed to keeping prices as low as possible.”
