§ Mr. Moateasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he is satisfied that it remains in the public interest to keep resale price maintenance on proprietary medicines; and if he has any means of monitoring price levels of those items where price maintenance is protected by law; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. VaughanUnder the Resale Prices Act 1976 consideration of the public interest on questions of resale price maintenance is a matter for the Restrictive Practices Court. In 1970 the court decided that it would be in the public interest for certain proprietary medicines to be exempted from the general prohibition on resale price maintenance. My right hon. Friend has no powers to review the court's decisions and he does not, therefore, monitor the price of exempted goods. The Director
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§ Dr. VaughanThe Director General of Fair Trading expects to report later this year. In the meantime. I have nothing to add to the statement my right hon. Friend made on 16 December.