Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to regulate pricing of stock in small newsagents to prevent fluctuations on essential items during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government condemns exploitative pricing practices in the light of the Covid-19 outbreak. The Competition and Markets Authority has created a Covid-19 taskforce to address concerns that some businesses are exploiting consumers through their pricing practices. The taskforce has already been in contact with traders about excessive hand sanitiser prices. Enforcement authorities will take action against companies that have broken competition or consumer protection law, and the Government continues to monitor these practices closely.