A CRITIQUE OF THE NEW BRITISH MONOPOLY ACT

In 1948 the British Parliament passed the Monopoly and Restrictive Practices (Inquiry and Control) Act. It is instructive to examine this Act against the background of the criticisms and suggestions for improvement which have emerged with sixty years of American anti-trust legislation. Section one of this paper presents some reasons why the measure has appeared at this time. The next section summarizes the Act's provisions.

Section three contrasts the British technique of monopoly control with the American and considers whether the different approach is likely to avoid the debilities which have become evident in the American legislation.