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Debate between Baroness Rawlings and Lord Lloyd of Berwick
Baroness Rawlings
My Lords, my noble friend makes some important points. I am sure that the Government will look at several amendments. The Secretary of State has returned this matter to the Competition Commission, and the review can take between 24 and 32 weeks, depending on the complexity of the case. The Competition Commission, confusingly for some, does not deal with actual competition. The European Union decided on 21 December 2010 that there was no competition problem. The Competition Commission’s decision, as my noble friend Lord Marks rightly says, will be based purely on plurality.
Lord Lloyd of Berwick
I am still puzzled by the timing of yesterday’s Statement. Were the undertakings offered by News International ever accepted by the Office of Fair Trading? If not, what was there to stop the Secretary of State at any time since 25 January referring the matter to the commission? Why did he wait until after the undertakings had been withdrawn to do so?
Baroness Rawlings
Because there were so many letters to him, the Secretary of State extended the period of consultation until Friday 8 March. He will be looking at all the answers. He is still looking at the answers. There will be quite a long delay. He does not know how long, but he does not want to be pushed into any quick decision because this is a very serious matter which everyone is quite rightly upset about.