§ Mr. William RossTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will commission research into the arrangements for the supply and distribution of newspapers in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Neil HamiltonNo, my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has no plans to commission research into the arrangements for the supply and distribution of newspapers in Northern Ireland.
On 19 August 1992 the Director General of Fair Trading referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission—MMC—the supply of newspapers from publishers to wholesalers and wholesalers to retailers in England and Wales. The MMC reported to the President of the Board of Trade on 30 July. Its recommendations are still under consideration and until the report is published it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.
The terms of reference of the MMC's inquiry exclude Scotland and Northern Ireland, primarily because newspaper distribution arrangements there are different. However, the Office of Fair Trading continues to keep these markets under review and, when the MMC's report is published, will examine the general principles arising from its conclusions to see whether any action is warranted.