§ Mr. Spellerasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will request the Director General of Fair Trading to use his powers against any oil company which abuses its market power by giving selective discounts to petrol retailers and tying these discounts to a fixed retail price at the pump.
§ Mrs. Sally OppenheimI have been regularly in contact with the Director General about a number of oil company trading practices. In his review of October 1980 he examined among other issues the practice of selective price support, against the background of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's finding in its 1979 report that the practice did not operate against the public interest, and concluded that it had no adverse effect on competition. He has assured me that he is continuing to keep the market under review.
§ Mr. John Fraserasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will refer the most recent increases in the price of petrol to the Director General of Fair Trading, under the powers contained in section 13 of the Competition Act 1980.
§ Mrs. Sally OppenheimNo. Despite the recent increases resulting from the withdrawal of selective price support by some oil companies, I am confident that competition in this highly competitive market will continue to serve the best interests of the consumer. The Director General in any case continues to keep the petrol market under close review.