§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Lord Privy Seal if, in the light of the observations of Mr. Harold Evans, a copy of which has been sent to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, he will make a further statement on his decision not to refer the purchase of The Sunday Times by Mr. Rupert Murdoch to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
§ Mr. BiffenNo. In his observations to the right hon. Member, Mr. Evans makes the specific suggestion that, when reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission of the proposed merger betweenThe Observer and George Outram was under consideration, my professional advisers included non-newspaper revenue and profit in assessing whether The Observer was economic as a going concern and as a separate newspaper under the Fair Trading Act 1973. That is not so. As in the case of The Sunday Times, non-newspaper business was excluded.