§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will request a report from the Director General of Fair Trading on the implementation of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report on brewing.
§ Mr. RedwoodWhen announcing decisions on the MMC report, we made it clear that the Director General of Fair Trading—DGFT—will be assessing the effectiveness of the measures once the Supply of Beer Orders have had time to take full effect. Under the Supply of Beer (Tied Estate) Order, brewers have until 1 November 1992 to complete the process of releasing premises from ties, although certain measures took effect on 1 May 1990. The DGFT is ready to receive any complaints or evidence of anti-competitive practices. If he thinks at any stage that further steps are necessary I will consider what action is appropriate following advice from him. In the meantime the Department and the Office of Fair Trading are maintaining cose contact on developments.