§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications have been made to acquire newspapers under the terms of the Fair Trading Act 1973 since July 1977; and how many such applications have been refused.
761W
§ Mr. MaudeSince July 1977 decisions have been taken on 60 applications; 58 consents have been given and, of these, two were given conditionally. Three applications are currently being considered by my Department and one other is with the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
A number of applications have also been received which have been withdrawn before any final decision has been taken. Details of these cases since 1977 are not available.