§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why he has exempted medicinal products from the requirement of the Trade Descriptions Act 1972 on origin marking.
Year Industrial and commercial acquisitions as recorded in the DTI "Business Monitor" statistics* Industrial and commercial acquisitions within the scope of the Monopolies and Mergers Act 1965 Merger references to the Monopolies Commission Mergers abandoned after adverse report by the Monopolies Commission 1968 … … 946 119 2 (including 1 banking merger) 1 1969 … … 846 101 3 1 1970 … … 793 67 2 1 1971 … … 884 107 1 — 1972 … … 889† 84† 3 2 * Prior to 1969 these statistics were compiled on a slightly different basis. †First nine months of the year only. In 1972, neither the proposed merger between Beecham Group Ltd. and Glaxo Group Ltd. nor that between the Boots Co. Ltd. and Glaxo Group Ltd. was allowed to proceed, because the Monopolies Commission reported that either would operate against the public interest. The bid by Sears Holdings Ltd. for William Timpson Ltd. was referred to the Commission but abandoned soon afterwards.