HC Deb 13 June 1988 vol 135 cc71-2W
Mr. Oppenheim

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what he estimates to be the annual cost to the consumer of the net book agreement.

Mr. Butcher

Although there have been several studies of the effect of the net book agreement, I have not been able to establish that any estimates have ever been made. Any attempt to quantify the cost would be dependent upon so many uncertainties that its usefulness would be limited. I therefore have no such estimate.