§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they propose to ensure that brewers and publicans reduce prices charged for nonalcoholic mixer drinks in order to prevent damage to the Government's "don't drink and drive" campaign.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Trumpington)The Government intend to maintain their present policy of promoting free and fair competition as the best way of determining and restraining food and drink prices. The success of this policy is amply demonstrated by the reduction in the rate of increase of the food and beverages component of the Retail Price Index since this Government first took office in 1979. The annual rate of increase has averaged 6 per cent., compared with 16.4 per cent. per annum over the life of the last Labour administration (February 1974 to May 1979), while by mid-June last the annual rate of increase had fallen to 2.3 per cent.