HC Deb 15 May 1963 vol 677 cc173-4W
Mr. Cleaver

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement about further references to the Monopolies Commission.

Mr. Erroll

Yes. I am today referring to the Monopolies Commission for investigation and report the supply of household detergents and the supply and processing of colour film. The full terms of the references are as followsHousehold Detergents

  1. 1. 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, as amended by the Restrictive Trade Practices 174 Act, 1956, applies prevail as respects the supply of household detergents.
  2. 2. Now, therefore, the Board of Trade in pursuance of Section 2(1) of the said Act of 1948, as amended as aforesaid, hereby refer to the Monopolies Commission the matter of such supply.
  3. 3. The Commission shall as respect such supply investigate and report on—
    1. (1) whether conditions to which the said Act of 1948, as amended as aforesaid, applies in fact prevail and if so in what manner and to what extent;
    2. (2) the things which are done by the parties concerned as a result of or for the purpose of preserving those conditions; and
    3. (3) whether the conditions in question or all or any of the things done as aforesaid operate or may be expected to operate against the public interest.
In this reference the expression "household detergents" means powders, liquids and flakes made up for sale by retail for use in the home in the washing of clothes, crockery and cooking utensils, but does not include borax, sodium carbonate, ammonia solutions, bleaching solutions and sodium hexametaphosphate.

Colour Film

  1. 1. 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. as amended by the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1956, applies prevail
    1. (1) as respects the supply of colour film, and
    2. (2) as respects the application of any process to colour film.
  2. 2. Now, therefore, the Board of Trade in pursuance of Section 2(1) of the said Act of 1948, as amended as aforesaid, hereby refer to the Monopolies Commission each of the following matters, that is to say—
    1. (1) the matter of the supply of colour film, and
    2. (2) the matter of the application of any process to colour film.
  3. 3. The Commission shall as respects each of these matters investigate and report on
    1. (1) whether conditions to which the said Act of 1948, as amended as aforesaid, applies in fact prevail and if so in what manner and to what extent;
    2. (2) the things which are done by the parties concerned as a result of or for the purpose of preserving those conditions; and
    3. (3) whether the conditions in question or all or any of the things done as aforesaid operate or may be expected to operate against the public interest.
In this reference "colour film" means sensitised positive or negative stock, on a base other than paper, for use (otherwise than in the cinematograph film industry) for colour photography and made up for sale by retail otherwise than as flat film.