§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimates he has made of the growth of home shopping over the next decade and what assessment he has made of the implications of such growth for the retail industry. [33077]
§ Mr. EggarNo official forecasts of the e growth of home shopping in the UK have been made, although I am aware that some private sector organisations have made such forecasts. However, there is already a substantial amount of home shopping through mail order, response advertising and other methods. I would expect this total to rise in the next decade as electronic shopping develops.