§ Miss Geraldine SmithTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from(a) farmers and (b) consumer groups on the buying power of supermarket chains; and if he will make a statement. [74092]
§ Mr. RookerWe have received a number of representations from both farmers and consumer groups on the buying power and pricing policies of supermarkets. These are matters within the competence of the competition authorities and are currently subject to an inquiry by the Office of Fair Trading which expects to report on their findings later this month.