Press: Competition
Business, Innovation and Skills
Written answers and statements, 17 June 2009
Kerry McCarthy (Assistant Whip (funded by HM Treasury); Bristol East, Labour)
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an assessment of the contracts (a) awarded in the newspaper and magazine wholesale distribution market in the last six months and (b) likely to be awarded in that market in the next six months for the purposes of monitoring levels of competitiveness in that market.
Kevin Brennan (Minister of State (also in the Department for Business, Innovations and Skills), Department for Children, Schools and Families; Cardiff West, Labour)
It is for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), as the UK's independent competition authority, to consider such matters. I understand the OFT is aware of, and is actively monitoring recent developments in this market. It will carefully consider representations from interested parties about the potential for these to impact on competition. It will also take any such representations into account in the context of taking its final decision on whether to refer the newspaper and magazine supply sector to the Competition Commission for a market investigation. The public consultation on its draft decision not to make such a reference closed on