Chamber and committees

You mentioned the possibility that the situation could last for 18 months. It is that based on anything other than hope?

I would like to focus on one aspect that we have not explored yet. Over the years, the UK economy in general has moved to a just-in-time standard, which means that you expect the truck to back up to your door at just the right time. It would appear that there has been something of a shift to a just-in-case standard, which involves people keeping more stock than they might have previously, which represents a cost, obviously. How widespread has that been? Is there an indication that that is a longer-term shift?

What about the wholesale side?

I think that there is a lot of hope there. Dr Lee, could you comment on behalf of your members?

To be clear, the retail side is more or less still working on a just-in-time basis, but the wholesale side is a different story and you are having to keep stocks.

In relation to ports, you said that wine that used to take two weeks to get from the continent now takes two months. That is a huge issue. Even if we solve the internal issue in relation to the supply chain, there is still that tricky bit at the border that you will have to compensate for.

Is there any tangible evidence that the situation will be fixed in 18 or 24 months?

Do you see that as a long-term situation? Will you have to continue doing that?

Auditor General, I presume that you are looking at how public bodies are engaging with the community. Is it mainly councils that are doing so? I would expect that to be the case. If so, are you seeing any sign that the feedback that is being received is being used positively?

I will ask a slightly different question. A lot of the changes that have been made during the pandemic have been, by their nature, temporary. Are public bodies consulting on how to take forward those temporary changes and whether they will fall away or remain in place? Ryan, you are at the coalface—have you been asked about that?