§ Mr. RentonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the judgment of the Director General of Telecommunications in relation to the proposed pricing regime for British Telecommunications plc; and if he will make a statement. [27397]
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe Director General of Telecommunications has not yet made final proposals relating to the future price cap to be applied to BT's prices, so I am unable to comment on the judgment displayed by the outcome. I am, however, satisfied that the director general has conducted a full and wide-ranging consultation, taking comments from those in the industry as well as users, and seeking advice from a specially convened panel of advisors. The fullness of the consultation process is a sign that the outcome will be based on all relevant considerations, and will be consistent with liberalisation and competition, which have delivered lower prices and higher quality services to consumers.