§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will ask the Director General of Fair Trading to carry out an investigation into the extent to which the variation in petrol prices both regionally and between urban and rural areas constitutes an anti-competitive practice.
§ Mrs. Sally OppenheimThe anti-competitive practice provisions of the Competition Act 1980 give the Director General of Fair Trading the discretion to initiate preliminary investigations into specific courses of conduct pursued by particular persons which may constitute an anti-competitive practice. They do not allow the investigation of general questions such as regional price variations. A major reason for the variations in price is however the more vigourous competition in the retail petrol market in many urban areas.