FAIR WHOLESALE ARRANGEMENTS FOR INDEPENDENT RETAIL NEWSAGENTS

Early day motion 1503, tabled 13 July 2004 by Jim Dowd (Labour). Signed by 110 members.

That this House welcomes the Government's decision to repeal the Vertical Agreement (Exclusion) Order, which has a negative effect on independent newsagents who are unable to select their own wholesaler and who have seen draconian increases in carriage charges imposed upon them, forcing down the sector's profit margins and leading to bankruptcy and closures, leaving four million people without access to an independent newsagent in their area and therefore no home delivery of newspapers and magazines, which has a particularly adverse effect upon the housebound, frail and those in ill-health and undermines strong communities through lack of choice in publications; and calls on the Secretary of State to restate her intention to abolish the Order at the earliest opportunity and exert her influence to ensure that reform takes place in the newspaper and magazine industry, which will eradicate anti-competitive practices, encourage competition throughout the supply chain, provide independent retail newsagents with more input into the industry's operational management and improve their competitiveness and viability, thus benefiting consumers through improved efficiency, service quality and choice.

Signatures by party: Labour 61, Liberal Democrat 24, Conservative 8, Labour/Co-operative 5, Scottish National Party 4, DUP 3, UUP 3, Plaid Cymru 2.