§ Mr. Ian BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the average change in prices of consumer durables as a result of last year's Government announcement of changes to resale price maintenance policies. [58984]
§ Dr. HowellsThe RPI shows that retail prices of consumer durables have fallen by 4.4 per cent. in real terms in the year to September 1998. There has been no change in Government policy in relation to resale price maintenance. It is prohibited except where the Restrictive Practices Court has permitted an exemption.