HC Deb 17 July 1978 vol 954 cc17-8
12. Mr. Grocott

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether he has completed his review of petrol price displays.

Mr. Maclennan

Yes. The review has shown that the Petrol Prices (Display) Order is working well and has ended most of the misleading displays which were so common before its introduction However, a few abuses remain, notably the practice of making discount prices apply only to the purchase of complete gallons, with any part gallons being charged at a significantly higher price.

My right hon. Friend therefore intends to take action on this and certain other matters to ensure that petrol price displays are clear and unambiguous. Consultations on these changes will start this week.

Mr. Grocott

I thank my hon. Friend for that useful reply, but may I ask him to turn his attention to the practice common in so many garages, which will be familiar to hon. Members, whereby the number after the decimal point, usually a nine, is printed in about the same size lettering as the decimal point itself? Does he accept that, while his Department may describe that as being advertisement by non-tenderable fractions, or "NTF" as I believe it is called, my constituents regard it as a swindle?

Mr. Maclennan

Not only do I sympathise with my hon. Friend's point, but I intend that the statutory requirement shall be that the price displayed in decimal points shall be in the same size and boldness as the main whole number. I think that that should stop deception of the kind to which my hon. Friend has referred.

Mr. Grimond

Reverting to the general subject of the price of petrol, will the Minister inquire why it costs up to 10p a gallon more in my constituency, and possibly in his, than in London? That seems much more important than the price of half gallons.

Mr. Maclennan

I have had some correspondence with a number of hon. Members on this matter. A number of inquiries have been carried out. The Monopolies and Mergers Commission is currently conducting an inquiry into the wholesale supply of petrol, the results which I hope to have by the end of this month. It should then be possible to see whether the Government can do anything to deal Arith this serious problem.