asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she will take steps to assess the number of jobs lost because companies are unwilling to invest so long as they are restricted by the operation of the Price Commission from determining the market price of their products.

I have included in the Stage 4 Price Code a relief under which companies can increase prices in support of investment firmly planned or undertaken, and after consultations I hope to extend its scope. It is not possible to isolate different factors in individual investment decisions, but in general I see no reason why compliance with the Price Code should be incompatible with a positive investment policy.