§ Mr. MarlowTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take action to prevent the establishment of a cartel of clearing banks with regard to the interest rate margins afforded to small businesses.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 6 June 1991]: As is well known, the Treasury and the Bank of England are looking at the concerns that have been raised about the interest rates charged to small businesses. If anyone has any evidence of collusion between the banks, they should submit it to the Office of Fair Trading, which will of course consider it.