Lord Spensasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish detailed accounts of British Telecom (BT) including the full administration and publicity costs for its radio-paging service, in view of the statement contained in the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Press Release of 5th March 1984, after an investigation started in 1981, that "OFT has examined BT's charges and operating costs for its radio-paging service and is satisfied that costs are being covered and there is no evidence of BT engaging in predatory pricing".
§ Lord CockfieldThe information supplied by British Telecom to OFT was supplied in confidence and cannot be published. The Government take the view that it is highly desirable that disaggregated accounts should be published. When the Telecommunications Bill becomes law the director will have the power to require disaggregated accounts to be prepared and he will be able in certain circumstances to require publication.