§ Mr. Wardasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection (1) whether uniform pricing methods such as those where traders dealing in the Olympus OM-1 and Praktica LTL3 cameras have been effectively threatened with the cutting-off of supplies if they attempt to advertise these products at below the stipulated minimum advertised price are compatible with the Government's competition policy, and in the best of interests of consumers;
(2) whether he will propose an amendment to the Resale Prices Act 1976 in order to extend its application to schemes requiring the minimum prices at which goods may be advertised.
§ Mr. John FraserThe Resale Prices Act 1976 already prohibits the fixing of minimum prices for the resale of goods and makes it unlawful to withhold supplies as a means of enforcing minimum resale prices. The courts have held that the Act also applies to the enforcement of resale price maintenance through the use of minimum advertised prices. The Director General of Fair Trading examines complaints about attempts to maintain minimum resale prices contrary to the Act and, if my Hon. Friend will send him details of the particular cases he has referred to, the Director General will look into them.