§ Mr. MorganI beg to move amendment No. 166, in page 62, line 39, leave out paragraph (b).
§ Mr. SpeakerWith this it will be convenient to consider the following amendments: No. 163, in page 62, line 42, leave out subsection (3).
No. 167, in page 63, line 4, leave out paragraph (b).
No. 157, in schedule 13, page 115, line 21, leave out sub-paragraph (3).
Government amendments Nos. 91 and 75 to 78.
§ Mr. MorganThis group of amendments relates, in the main, to restrictive trade practices. They raise the question of just how deeply the Government have thought about whether they have produced a competitive regime, and, if they have produced a competitive regime, whether it will be up to them to regulate it or whether it might be up to the European Community as well. Obviously, there is a fairly fluid boundary between the two jurisdictions on matters relating to competition. It certainly occurs to us, having read the comments made by bodies such as the CBI, that there may well be problems for the Government arising from the regulation, by the EEC, of some of the little peculiarities of this Bill. We are thinking particularly of the nuclear levy. Would the Government have a leg to stand on if someone challenged them on that at the European Court of Justice because they were in breach of article 85 by compelling people to buy more expensive power than they wanted? The CBI made that point and we entirely agree that the Government need to persuade us that if the large industries with the resources——
§ It being Ten o'clock, further consideration of the Bill stood adjourned.