Insider Media Limited

MPs are still demanding that Kraft chief executive Irene Rosenfeld appear before a committee to answer tough questions about her company's takeover of Cadbury, Insider has learnt. Adrian Bailey, the chairman of the House of Commons' Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee, told Insider that parliament should also examine its rules on requiring non-UK nationals to attend its committees. He said Rosenfeld "missed out" on a chance to explain Kraft's plans for the UK by failing to appear at a meeting of his committee on 15 March.

Instead, Kraft sent its executive vice-president Marc Firestone and two other executives to the meeting which it thought were best placed to answer questions.

But Bailey, the Labour and Co-operative MP for West Bromwich West, told Insider: "In terms of Irene Rosenfeld's non-appearance, there's an issue in parliament that needs to be addressed and that's the ability of non-UK nationals to refuse to go before committees. It needs to be examined.

"Her non-appearance has been the subject of a lot of publicity and it must have damaged the Kraft brand in this country. There seems to be a failure at Kraft to understand that.

"Coming to the committee was open to her to apologise for those things they did wrong and then she would have been asked fairly straightforward questions about the company. There was an opportunity there but she missed it.

"We will be wishing to interview them (Kraft) again and we will certainly try to speak to her."

Bailey said the committee would have asked about Kraft's decision to close the Somerdale factory in Bristol, which was criticised by the Takeover Panel following pledges to keep it open.

But Cheltenham-born MP did praise Kraft but is wary of their long-term commitments.

He said: "They have lived up to the initial commitments that they made in the takeover battle. They haven't lived up to them in terms of the Somerdale factory - and we criticised them - but they have made new manufacturing jobs and invested in Bournville. So from that examination, it's so far, so good."

However, he added there are concerns over Kraft moving part of Cadbury's operations to Zurich and that the business only gave a two-year commitment over manufacturing jobs.

A Kraft spokesman said in response to Insider: “The purpose of the select committee is to gather facts and we put forward a senior team which combines the seniority and knowledge needed to answer the committee’s questions authoritatively. The team was pleased to be able to update the committee on the progress we have made in the past year and to show that we have been an excellent steward of Cadbury.

“Kraft has been in the UK for 85 years and the Cadbury and Kraft Foods brands performed well in 2010. We are committed to continuing to create products which we know our consumers love.”