HC Deb 21 March 1957 vol 567 c533
17. Mr. Jay

asked the President of the Board of Trade what assurances he has received from the manufacturers of electronic valves and cathode ray tubes that restrictive agreements referred to by the Monopolies Commission report on that industry have been dissolved.

Sir D. Eccles

There is no occasion for the manufacturers to give me assurances. I understand that the price-fixing agreements have in the main been abandoned. Any that remain have no doubt been registered under the Restrictive Trade Practices Act.

Mr. Jay

As the President kindly told me in a letter that he had been in error in informing the House that certain recommendations of the Commission had been adopted by the industry, would he now let the rest of the House into the secret? Can we know, because I do not think we do at present, what agreements mentioned by the Monopolies Commission have now been abandoned by this industry?

Sir D. Eccles

The Report records in page 1 that, as from 1st September, 1956, price-fixing by agreement was abandoned.