HC Deb 28 March 1957 vol 567 cc1319-20
10. Mr. Oram

asked the President of the Board of Trade why a variation was made in the reference to the Monopolies Commission respecting electronic valves and cathode ray tubes so as to preclude it from reporting upon the effect on the public interest of the conditions prevailing in the supply of those goods.

Sir D. Eccles

Under the original terms of reference the Report could not have been completed until a considerable time after the Restrictive Trade Practices Act came into operation. The terms of reference were, therefore, varied so as to avoid overlap with the functions of the Restrictive Practices Court.

Mr. Oram

Is not the Minister aware that he and his right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State on previous occasions explained that the Government were taking no action about this Report because the Commission had reported on the facts only, and would it not have been more straightforward for these answers to have explained that it was Government action which precluded the Commission from making recommendations apart from reporting on the facts?

Sir D. Eccles

I thought that was already well-known.

Mr. Roy Jenkins

But is it not the case that, as appears from the Report, one firm in this industry is within the Government definition of a single-firm monopoly, and does not the President propose to do something about the practices of this firm, which are not, even under the new Act, matters for the Restrictive Practices Court?

Sir D. Eccles

I did not think that was so, but, if it is, I will certainly consider it.