§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the reasons given by the Competition Commission not to make recommendations when it had identified adverse effects associated with the sale of products below cost. [159570]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Competition Commission, in their report on supermarkets, made an adverse finding in relation to persistent selling below cost of some frequently purchased items, but recommended that no action be taken. In the press notice he issued when the report was published (10 October 2000), my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry outlined the reasons for this conclusion—essentially, the possible remedies would themselves have adverse effects and the intervention and monitoring required would be disproportionate to the problem.