§ Mr. Harold Walkerasked the Minister for Trade if he will cause inquiries to be made into the supply of dense sodium carbonate in the United Kingdom to ascertain if prices are being held at an artificial level by cartel arrangements.
§ Dr. VaughanCartel arrangements are subject to registration under the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 which is administered by the Director General of Fair Trading. If the right hon. Member has evidence of any such arrangement he may care to send it to the director general.
§ Mr. Harold Walkerasked the Minister for Trade if he will direct the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to inquire into and make recommendations about the supply of dense sodium carbonate in the United Kingdom.
§ Dr. VaughanMonopoly references are normally made by the director general of Fair Trading. I understand that he has no plans for such a reference at present; if, however, the right hon. Member has evidence to justify a reference I suggest he writes to the Director General.
§ Mr. Harold Walkerasked the Minister for Trade if his Department agreed with the imposition by the European 643W Economic Community of a duty of approximately £12 per ton on imported dense sodium carbonate; and what estimate he has made of the effect of this on the manufacturing costs of the United Kingdom glass container industry.
§ Dr. VaughanThe final responsibility for the imposition of provisional duties rests with the European Commission but in this case, as in any other, the member States were consulted through the advisory committee before the imposition of duty. Representatives of the glass container industry had an opportunity to present their views to the Commission in the early stages of its investigation and will have further opportunities to do so before the Community comes to a final decision in the coming months.