§ Mr. J. Rodgersasked the President of the Board of Trade what action has been taken by Her Majesty's Government to carry out the recommendations made in the Report of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission about the supply of oxygen and dissolved acetylene by the British Oxygen Company.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe Commission's conclusions and recommendations on this matter are summarised in the Annual Report by the Board of Trade on the operation of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Acts, 1948 and 1953, which was laid before Parliament on 28th February, 1957 (H.C. Paper No. 97, 1956–57 Session). Her Majesty's Government do not propose to take any action on the majority recommendation that182W steps should be taken to regulate the level of the British Oxygen Company's prices and profits on oxygen and dissolved acetylene. The other matters on which the Commission made recommendations have been the subject of discussions between the Board of Trade and the company, and the company has at the Board's request given certain undertakings on these points.
Copies of a statement giving full details of the agreement which has been reached are available in the Vote Office and the statement will be published in the Board of Trade Journal for 28th March.