§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors underlay the time taken to publish the report of the Competition Commission on Milk Marque. [91312]
§ Dr. HowellsMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State explained the position to the House. He said
It was not an easy decision, as it is not usual to disagree with a clear recommendation from the MMC. It is one reason why the report took longer to publish than I would have liked; I understand the concerns expressed by many right hon. and hon. Members this afternoon and by the farming community, particularly the dairy farmers, about the delay in its publication. I wanted to publish the report as soon as possible and I have done that. I would have liked it to be sooner, but I wanted to make sure 472W when it was published and I had put on record my decision that all avenues had been properly investigated."—[Official Report, 7 July 1999, column 1091.