Monopolies Commission (Electrical Machinery And Plant)

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asked the President of the Board of Trade what additional matters he has referred to the Monopolies Commission for investigation.

A new reference was made to the Commission on 4th April. The subject referred is the supply and exports of certain electrical and allied machinery and plant. The following is the full text of the reference:ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED MACHINERY AND PLANTWhereas it appears to the Board of Trade that it is or may be the fact that conditions to which the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (Inquiry and Control) Act, 1948, applies prevail

(1) as respects the supply of each of the following descriptions of goods, that is to say

(a) Alternators of not less than 300 KW. maximum continuous rating designed to be driven by turbines; and steam turbines (including condensing and feed water heating equipment therefor) and hydraulic turbines for driving such alternators;

(b) Alternators (other than alternators described in (a) above) of not less than 10 KVA. rated output;

(c) Direct current generators of output equal to not less than .75 KW. per 1,000 revolutions per minute and of not less than .75 KW. actual rating;

(d) Alternating current electric motors of not less than 1 horse power at any speed;

(e) Direct current electric motors of output equal to not less than 1 horse power per 1,000 revolutions per minute and of not less than 1 horse power actual rating;

(f) Transformers of not less than 5 KVA. rated output; and

(2) as respects the exports of each of the aforesaid descriptions of goods from the United Kingdom.

Now therefore the Board of Trade in pursuance of Section 2 (1) of the Act hereby refer to the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission for investigation and report the matters of such supply and such exports.

The Commission shall as respects such supply and such exports investigate and report on—

(1) whether conditions to which the Act applies in fact prevail, and if so in what manner and to what extent;

(2) the things which are done by the parties concerned as a result of or for the purpose of preserving the conditions; and

(3) whether the conditions in question or all or any of the things done as aforesaid operate or may be expected to operate against the public interest.

Volume 498: debated on Tuesday 8 April 1952