Competition
Business, Innovation and Skills
Written answers and statements, 5 November 2009
Andrew George (St Ives, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions the (a) Competition Commission and (b) Office of Fair Trading has referred a (i) matter and (ii) recommendation to his Department for determination under the provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 since that Act came into force.
Kevin Brennan (Minister of State (also in the Department for Business, Innovations and Skills), Department for Children, Schools and Families; Cardiff West, Labour)
Since the Enterprise Act 2002 came into force, the Competition Commission (CC) and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) published the following market study investigations and market studies respectively which made recommendations to government: These are listed as follows:
CC m arket i nvestigations
Supply of Groceries in the UK
Supply of Airport Services by BAA in the UK
Rolling Stock Leasing.
OFT m arket s tudies
Pharmacies
Private dentistry in the UK
Regulation of Licensed Taxi and PHV services in the UK
Estate Agency in England and Wales
Doorstep Selling
Public Subsidies
Property Searches
Care Homes
Opium Derivatives
Commercial Use of Public Information
UK Airports
Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme
Medicines Distribution
Home Building
Sale and Rent back.
Further details about the CC and OFT reports are available at the following website links:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/market-studies/
http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/current/index.htm
In addition, the Secretary of State (SoS) has intervened in nine merger cases on public interest grounds. In such cases, final decisions are taken by the SoS based on reports received from competition authorities. A list giving further details can be found at the following website link:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/businesslaw/competition/mergers/public-interest/index.html