QUICK ACTION TO END PRICE-FIXING?
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FROM OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
nESP1TE mounting opposition, the Government is to press on with its proposals for ending price maintenance as quickly as possible.
The length of time which the necessary laws will need to get through Parliament should not be taken as a pointer to the General Election, however. If necessary, the Government will temporarily abandon any or all of this year's programme if it appears that the election should come sooner, rather than later.
If legislation to end price-fixing is passed before the fateful day, there will be a pause while various industries who think they have a case for a tribunal are allowed to submit requests for a hearing. They will be allowed to continue fixing prices until a verdict is given.
The Bill, when it comes, is expected to lay down what is the "public interest against which no price-fixing will be allowed.
In the recent case of electrical equip
ment for vehicles, the Monopolies Commission has already declared price maintenance to be against the public interest. But the definition given to the tribunal may be slightly different—though one must assume that this section of the industry has little chance of being allowed to continue as it is.
Some interesting avenues for speculation are opened up by the fact that commercial services are also, at a later date, to come under the eye of the Monopolies ' Commission; what this means exactly will probably be made clear in a White Paper. But road transport seems to have little to fear from any investigation of services; haulage is in a healthy state of competition and, although passenger transport is less openly competitive. users already have a chance to be heard in the inquiries before Traffic Commissioners. Even London Transport. in its monopoly position, has to seek Transport Tribunal approval for its fares.