§ Mr. Walter Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what representations he has received from the brewers concerning price increases in the near future.
§ Mr. MaclennanThe general question of beer price increases was among the matters that my right hon. Friend discussed with the Brewers Society at its meeting last month. However, as he pointed out then, it is for the Price Commission to examine individual proposed increases and decide whether or not they should be investigated.
§ Mr. Walter Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will given an assurance that there will be no increase allowed in the price of beer until the application has been thoroughly investigated by the Price Commission and that full account will be taken of the profits made by the brewery industry in recent years.
§ Mr. MaclennanIt is for the Price Commission to decide which proposed price increases should be the subject of investigation, and it has already decided to investigate increases proposed by Allied Breweries. In any case selected for investigation following a pre-notification to the Commission the Commission has discretion to allow interim increases, and is required to grant such increases where the Prices and Charges (Safeguard for Basic Profits) Regulations 1977 apply.