These concerns fell outside the MMC’s terms of reference, and so they were unable to follow them up. However, Mrs Beckett’s decision makes it clear that the Director General of Fair Trading will be considering whether to make another reference to the MMC on these issues, and will be writing to BEW and other parties in the industry setting out his concerns and inviting their comments. It states that the Director General considers that 'BEW might be willing to offer undertakings to address the wider concerns.' We may therefore shortly expect another UK round of the ‘ice cream wars’.

Howard Cartlidge
Freshfields
London