NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE SUPPLY CHAIN

Early day motion 332, tabled 7 December 2004 by Jim Dowd (Labour). Signed by 95 members.

That this House views with alarm the application for a block exemption for newspaper and magazine publishers and wholesalers that would replace the Vertical Agreement (Exclusion) Order when it is repealed in May 2005, thus preserving a restrictive, inefficient and secretive monopoly supply chain that is not in the interests of consumers and which perpetuates the exploitation of independent news retailers, putting more of them out of business, thus resulting in even larger areas of the UK with no access to specialist titles or home news delivery; and urges the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to resist pressure from powerful media interests and reject the application for a block exemption and to require all parties in the newspaper and magazine industry to take careful note of the constructive and responsible proposals for change made by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents that would modernise the industry throughout the UK, create a vibrant independent retail network, improve services to consumers and sustain access to newspapers and magazines in local communities through compliance with UK and EU competition legislation.

Signatures by party: Labour 53, Liberal Democrat 19, Labour/Co-operative 7, Conservative 6, Scottish National Party 4, UUP 4, DUP 1, Plaid Cymru 1.