§ Mr. Parryasked the Minister for Trade what is the current position concerning the question of exclusive purchasing agreements being dealt with by the European Community and its effects in the United Kingdom.
§ Dr. Vaughan[pursuant to the reply, 30 March 1983, c. 137]: Discussions are still taking place between the European Commission and the Government on a new regulation under the competition rules of the Treaty of Rome to come into force on 1 July 1983. Under the regulation, exclusive purchasing agreements which met certain conditions would be exempted en bloc from the prohibition on restrictive agreements in article 85(1) of the treaty.
The final contents of the regulation are not yet settled and so I cannot predict its effects in the United Kingdom.