§ 19. Mr. MullinTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to outlaw predatory pricing in the national newspaper industry; and if she will make a statement.[31147]
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§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsThe Competition Bill introduces a prohibition against abuses of a dominant market position, including predatory pricing. The prohibition will apply in the newspaper industry as in the economy generally.
As the House will be aware, an amendment to the Bill accepted in the other place introduced a new prohibition specifically targeted at the newspaper industry. The Government are considering the implications of the vote in the other place. However, we believe that the amendment is unnecessary, and that there is no case for having a different prohibition for the newspaper sector.