It's a good thing we didn't hold the presses last Friday as the deadline for the Competition Commission's latest remedies report slipped on an hourly basis, but having had a chance to digest the remedies, we've outlined in this issue how we think the various retailers stand to gain or lose from the proposals. But what of the suppliers? Extending the code to retailers with sales of £1bn+ will potentially correct some of the abuses. M&S and Waitrose say they already comply. But let's just say we know of some in this new category that don't. And then there's the ombudsman. Speaking at our annual lunch for independents and wholesalers this week, Grant Thornton's Duncan Swift memorably described the situation, as we reach the conclusion of this inquiry, as a "Soc Gen moment". Either the Competition Commission decides to heed the warning signs and give the code some teeth. Or not. In its report, the commission offers two options: an independent ombudsman; or a new arbitrator under the remit of the OFT. Based on the total inability of the OFT to resolve the Ferndale case - now three years old - not to mention the complete Horlicks that the OFT appears to be making of the milk inquiry, which dates back to the paleontological era, I'd venture that an independent ombudsman would get things moving a little faster. If there is to be a code of practice it needs to have effective personnel with effective dispute resolution mechanisms at its heart. This would take longer to put on to the statute books - as much as two years - and some fear a new government might derail the process, but having taken this long, the possibility of getting it right is surely more important than a quick fix that offers more of the same.