§ Mr. Harold Walkerasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the report of the Monopolies Commission on the supply of infant milk foods.
§ Mr. JayThe Report was published this morning. The Commission have found that monopoly conditions, as defined in the legislation, prevail in the supply of infant milk foods.
The Commission have concluded that the practice of restricting the supply of infant milk foods to persons who sell or intend to sell to the general public by retail by reference to the character of the business carried on by those persons operates against the public interest, in that inconvenience to the public results in places where there is no retail chemist.
By way of remedy, the Commission have recommended that, in places where 309W there is no retail chemist, the manufacturers should supply, or authorise wholesalers to supply infant milk foods to any retailer wishing to stock them, subject to normal commercial considerations.
I am inviting the parties concerned to discuss the Commission's recommendation with my Department.