§ 91. Mr. C. Osborneasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the take-over bids and subsequent amalgamations are creating monopolies and restraining competition that is vital if the capitalist system is to work efficiently; and what steps he proposes to take to counteract this process.
§ Mr. J. RodgersIt may be that some instances appear to support the hon. Member's contention, but I know of no evidence that their effects are significant. I would remind my hon. Friend that the Board of Trade may, if it thinks fit, have the activities of a monopoly investigated by the Monopolies Commission, and that monopoly conditions apply when one-third of all the goods in question are supplied in the United Kingdom by any one person.