COMPETITION COMMISSION PUBLISHES ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS FOR 2000/2001

The Competition Commission today published its Annual Review and Accounts for 2000/2001.

Welcoming the Government’s recent announcement regarding the Enterprise Bill, which proposes to increase the independence of the competition authorities, Dr Morris said:

"A series of legislative changes are currently transforming the UK’s competition regime. They will together constitute a very significant change in the environment within which business operates in the UK. Competition is a key driver of long-term competitiveness of UK industry, encouraging innovation and entrepreneurialism, enabling companies to compete in world markets."

The Competition Commission Appeal Tribunals did not receive any appeals during the period under review. However, on the 30 March 2001, the Director General of Fair Trading took the first infringement decision under the Competition Act 1998 which has resulted in an application being lodged with the Appeal Tribunals. The President of the Appeal Tribunals, Sir Christopher Bellamy said:

"It is clearly important for the credibility of the 1998 Act that the enforcement authorities take regular, speedy and effective decisions; but it is also very important that appeals may be brought and disposed of as fairly and expeditiously as possible. The Appeal Tribunals aim to dispose of appeals within six months. The preparatory work done over the past year has had that objective very much in mind."

During the last twelve months, the Commission completed 16 inquiries and 15 reports were published. A number of monopoly inquiries attracted considerable interest including the supply of new cars and supermarkets. Merger inquiries covered a diverse range of industries including private medical services and insurance, television companies, newspapers, beer, airlines and salmon fish farming. Regulatory inquiries included investigations into the water and electricity industries. Summaries of the Commission’s findings in inquiries published during the period are reproduced in the Review.

Expenditure for 2000/2001 was £8.67m as compared with £7.9m in 1999/2000. The Competition Commission is financed through a grant-in-aid from the DTI.

Notes to Editors

The Competition Commission has two functions:

to hear appeals against prohibition decisions made by the enforcement authorities (with effect from 1 March 2000); and
to hold inquiries into mergers and monopolies referred under the Fair Trading Act 1973 and into disputed licence conditions under the various privatisation statutes.

Free copies of the 2000/2001 Annual Review & Accounts may be obtained from the Competition Commission Information Centre (General enquiries: 020 7271 0243. Press enquiries: 020 7271 0242). It will also be available as a pdf file for downloading from our web site: www.competition-commission.org.uk
Free copies of Guide to Appeals under the Competition Act 1998 are available from the Appeal Tribunals Registry (Tel: 020 7271 0395).
Further information can be found on the Commission's website.
Enquiries should be directed to:
Francis Royle, Press Officer Tel. 020 7271 0242.