Brick Industry (Hansard, 18 July 1996)

§ Mr. Nicholas Winterton
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what steps he is taking to promote competition in the manufacture and supply of bricks; and if he will make a statement; [38039]
(2) what steps he intends to take to prevent the creation of a duopoly in the supply of bricks to the building industry. [38036]

Mr. John M. Taylor
The Director General of Fair Trading has a duty to keep markets under review and to consider taking action where he believes there may be anti-competitive behaviour.

§ Mr. Winterton
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to refer to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission the proposed acquisition of Redland Brick plc by Ibstock Building Products Ltd; and if he will make a statement. [38034]

Mr. Taylor
As my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade made clear on 11 July,Official Report, column 284, on the advice of the Director General of Fair Trading he will refer this proposed acquisition to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission unless suitable undertakings are given by Ibstock to remove the competition concerns arising from the acquisition. A public consultation exercise is under way on the form and content of those undertakings and it would be wrong to prejudge the final outcome.

§ Mr. Winterton
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received to date from the housebuilding industry about the proposed acquisition of Redland Brick plc by Ibstock Building Products Ltd. [38035]

Mr. Taylor
One has been made to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. Representations about mergers under consideration by the Director General of Fair Trading would usually be made to the DGFT in the first instance so that he could include them in his advice to my right hon. Friend.