§ 34. Mr. GrieveTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of the provisions of the Competition Bill[Lords] on independent community pharmacies; and if he will make a statement. [51009]
§ Mr. MilburnThe effect of the Competition Bill will be to bring such community pharmacies, along with other businesses, within a modern and coherent framework of competition legislation. However, there will be a guaranteed five year transitional period during which the prohibition on anti-competitive agreements is not to apply to resale price maintenance for over the counter medicines.