For announcement of referral see DTI Press Notice P/2003/302

Fair trading act 1973

Newspaper merger reference

Whereas the Secretary of State received on 22 April 2003 an application for her consent under section 58 of the Fair Trading Act 1973 (“the Act”) to the transfer to Newsquest (London) Limited, a newspaper proprietor, of the newspapers specified in the Schedule hereto and of the assets necessary for the continuation of those newspapers as separate newspapers (including the right to use the name of the newspapers) and of plant and premises used in their publication (“the proposed transfers”);

Whereas the average circulation per day of publication (calculated in accordance with section 57(3) of the Act) of the newspapers specified in the Schedule hereto, together with that of the newspapers of which Newsquest (London) Limited is already a newspaper proprietor amounts to 500,000 or more copies;

Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of her powers under section 59 of the Act, hereby refers the matter of the proposed transfers to the Competition Commission (“the Commission”) for investigation and report on whether any of the transfers in question may be expected to operate against the public interest.

The Commission shall report on this reference within a period ending on 19 August 2003.

20 May 2003.
 

SCHEDULE

Barking & Dagenham Post Series, which comprises three editions:
Barking & Dagenham Post
Ilford & Redbridge Post
Thurrock & Lakeside Post

Bexley & Eltham Express

Bexley Times Series, which comprises four editions:
Bexley Times (Bexleyheath & Welling Edition)
Eltham Times
Bexley Times (Erith & Crayford Edition)
Bexley Times (Sidcup & Blackfen Edition)

Bromley & Beckenham Express Series, which comprises two
editions:
Bromley & Beckenham Express
Orpington & Chislehurst Express

Bromley Times, which comprises three editions:
Bromley Times
Orpington Times
Chislehurst Times

Dartford & Swanley Express

Dartford Times, which comprises two editions:
Dartford Times
Swanley Times

East London Advertiser

Gravesend & District Express

Gravesend Reporter

Hackney Gazette and North London Advertiser

Hammersmith Times

Hornsey Journal Series, which comprises three editions:
Hornsey & Crouch End Journal
Tottenham, Wood Green & Edmonton Journal
Muswell Hill Journal

Ilford and Redbridge Weekly Post, which comprise two editions:
Ilford & Redbridge Weekly Post
Woodford Weekly Post

Islington Gazette Series, which comprises three editions:
Islington Gazette
Islington Gazette EC1
Camden Chronicle

Kensington Times

North London Weekly Herald Series, which comprises two editions:
Islington Herald
Haringey Herald

Paddington Times

Romford & Havering Weekly Post

Stratford & Newham Express, which comprises two editions:
Stratford & Newham Express
Docklands Express

Wembley Chronicle Series, which comprises two editions:
Wembley & Kingsbury Chronicle
Harrow & Sudbury Chronicle

Westminster Times

Willesden Chronicle Series, which comprises three editions:
Willesden & Brent Chronicle
Kilburn Times
Camden Times