§ Mr. John Garrettasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what plans she has for further references to the Price Commission.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsI have asked the Price Commission to examine and report on three further topics
—Fixed minimum charges for visits to the home in connection with the repair of domestic appliances and installations, and the relationship between such charges and the prices charged for repairs.—Prices and margins in the distribution of soft drinks and mixers sold for consumption on licensed premises.—Prices of privately prescribed hearing aids.These are all matters on which I have received letters or requests for an investigation, and I should like the Price Commission to report to me on the facts. The decision to make these references does not imply that prices are unjustified or that there is evidence of profiteering.
Following receipt of the Price Commission's report on the prices of small electrical household appliances, with particular reference to the practice of recommending retail prices, I shall also be asking the Commission to undertake a wider factual analysis of the practice of recommending retail prices and its effiect on actual retail prices.