Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 12 March 1996,Official Report, column 526, (1) what consultations his Department has had with the electrical goods supply industry on the extension of time for the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to report on the supply of certain goods; [21233]
(2) what were the reasons given by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission for its application for an extension of time to report on the supply of certain electrical goods. [21232]
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Mr. John M. TaylorThe Monopolies and Mergers Commission requested an extension because of the complexity of the inquiry. The scale of the exercise is exceptional in terms of the number of referred markets—eight—and interested parties. It is important that all those with a significant interest are given the chance to give evidence to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Section 55 of the Fair Trading Act 1973 does not require the Secretary of State to consult on extensions given to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to complete reports and he did not do so.