Air Commodore Harveyasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet decided to make a reference to the Monopolies Commission concerning the activities of the London Builders' Conference.
Mr. P. ThomeycroftYes. Certain tendering practices, including practices134W operated by the Conference, are the subject of a new reference made to the Commission on 27th March, 1953. The full text is as follows:
Buildings in the Greater London Area
Whereas it appears to the Board of Trade that it is or may be the fact that conditions to which the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (Inquiry and Control) Act, 1948, applies prevail as respects the supply in the area described in the schedule hereto of those new buildings which cost more than £1,000 each to construct;
Now therefore the Board of Trade in pursuance of Section 2 (1) and Section 6 (2) of the Act hereby refer to the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission for investigation and report the matter of such supply. The Commission shall as respects such supply investigate and report on:
- (1) whether conditions to which the Act applies in fact prevail;
- (2) if so, whether either or both of the following things are done by the parties concerned as a result of or for the purpose of preserving those conditions, that is to say,
- (a) communicating to a person other than the person calling for tenders for the construction of a building the amount of any proposed tender for such construction in accordance with any agreement or arrangement so to communicate;
- (b) adjusting the amount of any proposed tender for the construction of a building in accordance with any agreement or arrangement between the proposed tenderer and any person other than the person calling for tenders for such construction;
- (3) if so, whether either or both of those things operate or may be expected to operate against the public interest.