Will local consumers ever see cash raised by supermarket milk price fix fines?

10.48.00am GMT Wed 16th Jan 2008

Alliance Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy MLA

Alliance Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy MLA has asked whether Northern Ireland consumers will ever see any of the millions made through fines placed on big supermarkets and producers for price fixing on dairy products. In November, an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) investigation highlighted prices being fixed at an artificially high level across the UK, and the organization fined top supermarkets and dairy firms £116 million. Sainsbury and Asda have already agreed to pay their penalties.

The Strangford MLA said: "Will Northern Ireland consumers ever see any of the £166 million made through these fines?

"The supermarkets involved charged consumers too much for dairy products and the OFT has fined them for doing that. I want to find out where this cash received by the OFT will be spent.

"It's only fair that consumers can see some form of redress for themselves instead of these fines going into the treasury coffers.

"Northern Ireland deserves its fair share of these fines because people here suffered these high prices as much other people throughout UK. The OFT is about recompense and about a fair deal for consumers, so let's hear about a fair deal for the people of Northern Ireland.

"We need answers on where the cash gained from these fines will go. This cash should, in some form, go back to those who lost out in the first place."

ENDS