Oral Answers to Questions

Julian Huppert Excerpts

Thursday 24th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Nigel Adams (Selby and Ainsty) (Con)]

3. What steps he is taking to support small businesses. [R]

[Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)]

4. What steps he is taking to support small businesses.

[Mark Pawsey (Rugby) (Con)]

14. What steps he is taking to support small businesses.

--- Later in debate ---

[Dr Huppert]

Arthouse cinemas such as the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse are much smaller and completely different from massive chain multiplexes. Despite this, the Competition Commission wants to force the sale of the excellent Cambridge Arts Picturehouse. The Leader of the House said in response to a question I asked that

“there is no cause for the Competition Commission to seek to intervene”.—[Official Report, 10 October 2013; Vol. 568, c. 314.]

Will my right hon. Friend the Business Secretary talk to the Competition Commission and encourage it to work on real local monopolies and not this issue?

[Vince Cable]

As an avid cinema-goer and, indeed, someone who used to go to that cinema, I have some sympathy with my hon. Friend, but the process is this: the Competition Commission has come to a resolution and the next step has to be to go to the Competition Appeal Tribunal. I suggest to my hon. Friend that, since the Cambridge law faculty has some of the best minds in the country, including that of his predecessor, it may want to take on this issue on a pro bono basis.