§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received from rural newsagents on the impact of changes in newspaper carriage costs. [88664]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 7 January 2003]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has received a number of recent representations about the concerns of rural newsagents over newspaper carriage charges.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has recently carried out a review of the 1994 Code of Practice on newspaper distribution. This also addressed the issue of carriage and service charges. On 12 December 2002, the OFT published it provisional recommendations. The main provisional recommendation is that selling-on within exclusive territories should be fully liberalised. The provisional recommendations are now open for public consultation until 14 March 2003.