In a letter to Cabinet Office secretary Michael Gove, seen by Retail Week, six major grocers warned that supply disruptions would "become inevitable" if the government pushes forward with "unworkable" proposals governing trade after the current grace period expires. Co-signed by the chief executives of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Marks & Spencer, Iceland, the Co-op and BRC head Helen Dickinson, the letter says the government needs "to take a number of steps to work with us to ensure the long term sustainability of the Northern Irish grocery market". These steps include setting up a dedicated Cabinet Office group coordinating government departments such as Defra, HMRC and the FSA; use grocers' supply chain experts to "develop the best solution to ensure it addresses the challenges of operating a just in time supply chain"; and agree on an extension of the grace period with the EU.