§ 1. Dr. Gilbertasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is now in a position to make a statement about the Government's policy on monopolies and restrictive practices.
§ The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and President of the Board of Trade (Mr. John Davies)I hope to make a statement shortly.
§ Dr. GilbertDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that we have seen very little progress in this area since it was mentioned in the Gracious Speech nearly a year ago? Can he tell us specifically how many references or suggestions for references have been made to him by the Monopolies Commission under the power he gave it last year? Secondly, can he say whether the Monopolies Commission is empowered to take suggestions from the general public?
§ Mr. DaviesI have discussed with the Monopolies Commission a number of suggestions which were put forward and initiated both by others and by the Commission. As the hon. Gentleman knows, I have made a considerable number of references recently and I am very much fulfilling what I undertook to the House to do, that is to use the existing machinery to its fullest extent pending the development of any new legislation. This is my plan.
§ Mr. NormantonWould my right hon. Friend agree that the Statement of Intent as originally published may at present be conditioned by the imminence of entry or otherwise of Britain into the Common Market, and that under those circumstances a monopoly outside the Common Market may not be a monopolistic situation once we are inside it?
§ Mr. DaviesIt is certainly my full intention when I make my statement to embrace within it only those things which seem compatible with membership of the Community in due course. Therefore any proposed legislation will clearly need to have regard to existing requirements or the existing state of the game in the Community.