§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about excessive charges for items for sale at motorway service areas. [100912]
§ Mr. ByersI have received a number of letters from MPs on behalf of their constituents and from members of the public about prices at Motorway Service Areas (MSAs).
Those letters have been passed to the Director General of Fair Trading who, under UK competition law, has in the first instance responsibility to investigate allegations of anti-competitive behaviour. The Office of Fair Trading are currently investigating the levels of prices charged at MSAs to determine whether they are the result of anti-competitive practices or exploitation of a monopoly position.