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OFT welcomes Secretary of State's announcement on Newspaper Code

42/09    20 April 2009

The OFT has welcomed today's announcement by the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform that, following advice from the OFT, national newspaper wholesalers will be released from undertakings to comply with the National Newspapers Code of Practice.

The OFT is currently consulting on its proposed decision not to refer the newspaper and magazine distribution sector to the Competition Commission. Interested parties have until 19 May 2009 to submit representations, which the OFT will carefully consider before reaching a final decision by the autumn of this year.

NOTES

1. In order to give interested parties the opportunity to consider the Secretary of State's decision on the Code, the deadline for representations on the OFT's consultation on its proposed decision not to make a market investigation reference to the Competition Commission was set at 28 days following the publication of the Secretary of State's decision.

2. The press release announcing the Secretary of State's decision can be found on the BERR website.

3. Further information about the OFT's advice to the Secretary of State regarding the Code and the OFT's proposed decision not to make a market investigation reference to the Competition Commission can be found at 122/08.

4. Parties wishing to submit representations on the OFT's proposed decision on the market investigation reference should do so by 5pm on 19 May 2009 to:

Ed Smith
Markets and Projects
Office of Fair Trading
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London
EC4Y 8JX
Email: NMD@oft.gsi.gov.uk

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