§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the impact of the Competition Bill[Lords] on the examination of anti-competitive practices within the newspaper industry. [24433]
§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsThe Competition Bill introduces general prohibitions against anti-competitive agreements and abuses of market dominance. These prohibitions will apply to the newspaper industry as to other sectors of the economy. Under the Bill it is the responsibility of the Director General of Fair Trading, the Competition Commission, and ultimately the courts, to examine whether particular behaviour is caught by the prohibitions. The purpose of the Bill is to set in place a new framework of law against which the competition effects of individual cases may be assessed by these bodies.