§ 6. Mr. Loydenasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what steps she intends to take, in view of the price discrepancies on a range of branded household goods on sale in the shops and supermarkets, including price 855 variations on such goods by up to 40p in £4, to end the practice of sales gimmicks and special offers.
Mr. Alan WilliamsImmediate steps to restrain prices and protect consumers have already been announced. I am not convinced that price variations on branded goods and sales promotion offers are necessarily against the consumer's interest, but I shall keep the position under review.
§ Mr. LoydenWill my hon. Friend look also at some of the practices obtaining in some of the larger supermarkets, where multiple pricing takes place, which leads to a great deal of confusion and, in my view, is designed so to do, and will he ensure that arrangements are made so that at such places as check points sufficient time is provided for shoppers to check the number and prices of items which are bought, since the problem of ensuring accuracy in this respect often creates difficulty for shoppers before they leave the premises?
Mr. WilliamsI shall be glad to hear from my hon. Friend if either he or his constituents have information about abuses.