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Supermarkets: Alcoholic Drinks

Volume 472: debated on Thursday 6 March 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he plans to take steps to prevent supermarkets from engaging in loss-leading alcohol promotions. (189541)

The Competition Commission considered the issue of ‘below cost selling’ of alcohol in the context of its current inquiry into the groceries market. It concluded that the practice did not raise competition concerns. Separately, the Government have commissioned independent research examining what relationships may exist between the pricing and availability of alcohol and harms associated with excessive alcohol consumption.