§ Mr. Bulmerasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether he will list those companies that have been subjected to an investigation by the Price Commission together with the maximum return on capital employed that was considered acceptable in the activity under investigation of the Commission at that time.
§ Mr. MaclennanThe Price Commission has completed the following investigations94W under sections 4 or 5 of the Price Commission Act 1977:
- Fuel Cost Adjustment for the Supply of Electricity.
- Barclays Bank Ltd.—charges for Money Transmission Services to the Post Office, the British Gas Corporation and the Electricity Council.
- Metal Box Ltd.—Open Top Food and Beverage Cans and Aerosol Cans.
- Fisons Ltd. Agrochemical Division—Agrochemical and Horticultural Products.
- UG Glass Containers Ltd.—Prices of Glass Containers.
- Tate & Lyle Refineries Ltd.—Sugar and Syrup Products.
- British Railways Board—Increases in Passenger Fares.
- Margins of Coal Merchants in West Wales.
- The Ever Ready Company (Great Britain) Limited—Dry (Primary) Batteries.
- Cadbury Schweppes Foods Ltd.—Grocery Products.
- Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd.—Sodium Carbonate.
- Weetabix Ltd.—Cereal and Muesli Products.
- Allied Breweries (UK) Ltd.—Brewing and Wholesaling of Beer and Sales in Managed Houses.
- Southalls (Birmingham) Ltd. Sanitary Protection and Other Hygiene Products.
- IPC Magazines Ltd.—Increases in Cover Prices.
- Thames Water Authority—Water, Sewerage and Environmental Services.
- The Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd.—Increases in Cement Prices.
- South of Scotland Electricity Board—Price Increases for the Supply of Electricity.
- London Transport Executive—Increases in Passenger Fares.
- CPC (United Kingdom) Ltd.—Increases in the Price of Maize Starch, Glucose Syrups, Starch-derived and Glucose-derived Products.
- British Gypsum Ltd.—Increases in the Prices of Gypsum-related Products.
- Trust House Forte Hotels Ltd.—Charges for Hotel Services in the United Kingdom.
- Lever Brothers Ltd.—Soaps Detergents and Related Products.
- Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd.—China and Earthenware Tableware and Ornamental Items.
- Procter and Gamble Ltd.—Soaps and Detergents.
- Imperial Tobacco Ltd.—Cigarettes and Cigarillos.
- General Paper and Box Manufacturing Company Ltd. and Rizla Ltd.—Cigarette Paper Booklets, Filter Tips and Accessories.
- Air Products Ltd.—Merchant Industrial Gases.
- Dollond and Aitchison Group—Prices, Charges and Margins for Optical Products.
95 - Thermos Ltd.—Vacuum Ware.
- Butlins Ltd.—Tariffs of the Main Holiday Centres in the United Kingdom.
- BOC Limited—Compressed Permanent Gases and Dissolved Acetylene sold in Cylinders. Cylinder Rentals and Fixed Charges.
- The Daily Telegraph—Cover Price of The Daily Telegraph.
It is not the practice of the Price Commission to indicate an acceptable maximum return on capital, either generally or in relation to a particular sector. The Commission considers the price increase under investigation in the light of the company's individual circumstances and of the statutory criteria. Return on capital is only one of a number of factors which the Commission takes into account.