HC Deb 23 July 1975 vol 896 cc263-5W
Mr. Wellbeloved

asked the Secretary of State for Price and Consumer Protection when she expects to implement the recommendations of the Monopolies Commission in its report on the supply of asbestos and certain asbestos products.

Mr. Alan Williams

As a result of the consultations which my Department has had with Turner & Newall Limited, the company has given certain undertakings which I consider as requisite for the purpose of remedying or preventing the adverse effects specified in the report.

The company has undertaken that its agreement with Tunnel Cement Limited under which Turner & Newall distributes Tunnel's output of asbestos cement to the extent of a quota related to the company's own sales will be terminated on 31st December 1975 and that it will not be replaced by any similar agreement or understanding.

The company has undertaken that it has released the surviving covenantors from the covenants incorporated into the agreements entered into by it with Albion

of total immigration to Scotland, nor is there any information available about the ages and skills of immigrants from the rest of the United Kingdom. There are, however, some sample figures available on immigration to Scotland from countries overseas derived from the International Passenger Survey and grossed up statistics based on these sample figures are given in the table below for the latest five years.

Asbestos Company Limited and certain individual covenantors, and The Cape Asbestos Company Limited for the sale to the company of certain businesses, under which the covenantors undertook not to carry on similar businesses for specified periods.

The company has undertaken that it has terminated the provisions in the agreements with Bestobell Limited and W. J. Nelson and Sons Limited (Belfast) relating to supply in the United Kingdom which prevent them from buying certain goods from a supplier other than the company or from selling such goods not made or supplied by the company.

The company has undertaken that in the fields of asbestos textile products, packaging and jointing in the United Kingdom, the company will not acquire, without the consent of the Secretary of State, any competing manufacturing business or any customer business or enter into any agreement or arrangement with any customer business which prevents that customer from buying goods from a supplier other than the company or from selling goods not made or supplied by the company.

I will be asking the Director General of Fair Trading to keep under review the carrying out of the undertakings, copies of which will be placed in the Library.

Forward to