The UK government has announced a spate of new measures to maintain supply chains as coronavirus-driven panic-buying puts retailers under pressure to keep food on the shelves.
The measures will allow food retailers to increase the frequency of deliveries to their stores and move stocks more quickly from warehouses across the country to replenish their shelves.
Current rules mean that deliveries are prohibited overnight so that vehicles do not disturb residents. However, the government will temporarily relax the enforcement of restrictions to give greater flexibility.
These measures follow a further call between the environment secretary and leading representatives from across the food industry.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “We have listened to our leading supermarkets and representatives from across the industry, and we are taking action to support their preparations.
“By allowing night-time deliveries to our supermarkets and food retailers we can free them up to move their stocks more quickly from their warehouses to their shelves.
Our retailers have well-established contingency plans in place and are taking all the necessary steps to ensure consumers have the food and supplies they need. I will continue to work closely with them over the coming days and weeks on this.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: “We welcome all efforts by government to provide supermarkets with greater flexibility in the way they supply their stores.
“While there is plenty of stock available, the challenge for retailers has been to make sure all of it reaches shelves at the earliest opportunity. It is essential that the government continues to engage on other ways to alleviate the challenges for retailers.”
Officials said the call was “productive”, with the secretary of state, retailers and food industry representatives discussing areas where further action could be taken to support the steps companies are already taking on delivery and collection services, and support vulnerable customers.
The British government is also looking closely at measures to ensure supply chains continue to function as normal.
The transport secretary said he stands ready to implement legislation to grant extensions on drivers’ hours to help respond to emergency situations.
The change would help cover a shortage of delivery drivers but drivers would still require 45-minute breaks after four and a half hours of driving.