HL Deb 18 November 2003 vol 654 cc284-5WA
Lord Peston

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the law relating to the prohibition of resale price maintenance applies to the retail sale of newspapers and periodicals. [HL5373]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)

Resale price maintenance is a form of price fixing, which is prohibited by the Competition Act 1998. The Act applies to the sale of newspapers and periodicals, as it does to other sectors of the economy. Enforcement of the Act is a matter for the Office of Fair Trading.