No U turn on essential goods ban

[Heisenberg]

Supermarkets are being restricted because they and other 'essential' shops are being told not to sell certain items in order to 'level things up' with those shops that have been told to close.

So if you want it and can't get it from the supermarket you are forcing people in Wales to purchase on line. This should be a public health issue but Mark Drakeford's comments make it a commercial issue and he's in danger of digging himself into a hole. EU and UK competition Law is robust and its for the Senedd to apply it not ride roughshod over it.

Wouldn't the lawyers of these large supermarket chains have been all over this when they were told about what was going to be happening, if that was the case?

You were asked yesterday to provide evidence to back up these statements about 'competition law' but said you were not going to do that. Do you care to do so today? It's always nice to learn something new.

[BLUETIT]

Wouldn't the lawyers of these large supermarket chains have been all over this when they were told about what was going to be happening, if that was the case?

You were asked yesterday to provide evidence to back up these statements about 'competition law' but said you were not going to do that. Do you care to do so today? It's always nice to learn something new.

Sunday trading, when it first came in for supermarkets, didn't places like B&Q get around it by selling you an orange, but you got a free kitchen/pot of paint/etc.

There are ways around everything, if you care to look.

[Tuerto]

Sunday trading, when it first came in for supermarkets, didn't places like B&Q get around it by selling you an orange, but you got a free kitchen/pot of paint/etc.

There are ways around everything, if you care to look.

I can't ever remember B&Q selling fruit in order to get around Sunday trading laws, although i wouldn't say no to a kitchen for 50p, which is roughly the price of an orange.

[lisvaneblue]

Wouldn't the lawyers of these large supermarket chains have been all over this when they were told about what was going to be happening, if that was the case?

You were asked yesterday to provide evidence to back up these statements about 'competition law' but said you were not going to do that. Do you care to do so today? It's always nice to learn something new.

I would hope the lawyers in supermarkets would be on to this but Im sure they will adopt a softly softly approach. If you want to know a bit more about competition law suggest you have a look at the provisions in articles 81/82 of EU treaty and UK Competition Act. To me Mark Drakeford's attempts to restrict product sales in essential shops in order to be fair, level up, create a level playing field with those shops that have been instructed to close is a commercial decision enacted by a dominant entity that can impact on the competitiveness of essential shops in Wales.

[Tuerto]

I would hope the lawyers in supermarkets would be on to this but Im sure they will adopt a softly softly approach. If you want to know a bit more about competition law suggest you have a look at the provisions in articles 81/82 of EU treaty and UK Competition Act. To me Mark Drakeford's attempts to restrict product sales in essential shops in order to be fair, level up, create a level playing field with those shops that have been instructed to close is a commercial decision enacted by a dominant entity that can impact on the competitiveness of essential shops in Wales.

You say 'Competitiveness' for that to happen there has to be a degree of fairness, an opportunity to perform, so to speak. The shops competing over the goods sold by the supermarkets have closed, therefore it isn't competitive. Surely it becomes a little more competitive if the Supermarkets aren't allowed to sell non essential goods?

[lisvaneblue]

You say 'Competitiveness' for that to happen there has to be a degree of fairness, an opportunity to perform, so to speak. The shops competing over the goods sold by the supermarkets have closed, therefore it isn't competitive. Surely it becomes a little more competitive if the Supermarkets aren't allowed to sell non essential goods?

The non essential shops have been closed for public health reasons and will get the compensation via the Senedd or Sunak. Reducing the range of goods in essential shops could have been for public health reasons, but Mark Drakeford said it was to level things up with closed shops ie commercial reasons. This disadvantages supermarkets in Wales through a reduced range as customers who want banned items, even though they have them in stock, will get them from other businesses probably on line