§ 53. Mr. Charles Smithasked the Minister of Works what action has been so far taken and what action is proposed on the Report of the Committee on the Distribution of Building Materials.
§ Mr. KeyThe principal recommendations in the Report relate to arrangements restricting competition and to distributors' margins. As regards the former, I am asking my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to refer one or more cases to the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission when it has been set up. I have discussed distributors' margins with those concerned, and the prices of a number of articles have been reduced; the discussions are continuing.