§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) on what basis the Director General of Fair Trading asked the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to investigate the trading arrangements between the Association of British Travel Agents tour operators specifically and travel agents; (2)when he expects that the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's investigation into the trading arrangements between the Association of British Travel Agents tour operators and travel agents will be finalised; (3)what is his estimate of the cost to public funds of the investigation by the Monopolies and Mergers 263W Commission into the trading arrangements between the Association of British Travel Agents tour operators and travel agents.
§ Mr. Fletcher.The Director General of Fair Trading asked the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to investigate whether a complex monopoly exists in the relationship of retail travel agents with tour operators and, if so, whether the practice of some tour operators of prohibiting travel agents from selling overseas package holidays at reduced prices and/or with incentives is against the public interest. The commission's report is due by 31 July 1986.
It is not practicable to allocate costs to particular inquiries, but the cost of the commission's programme, often of 10 to 12 active references at any one time, was about £2 million for 1984–85.