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1、UNITONETEXTONETescoispreparingalegalbattletoclearitsnameofinvolvementinthedairyprice-fixingscandalthathascostconsumers£270million.Failuretoprovethatithadnopartincollusionwithothersupermarketsanddairyprocessorsmaylanditwithafineofatleast£80million.TheOfficeofFairTrading(OFT)said
2、yesterdaythatAsda,Sainsbury’sandtheformerSafeway,plusthedairycompaniesWiseman,DairyCrestandCheeseCompany,hadadmittedbeinginacarteltofixpricesformilk,butterandcheese.Theywerefinedatotalofjustover£116millionaspartofaleniencydealofferedbythewatchdogtocompaniesthatownedupquicklytoa
3、nti-competitivebehaviour.OfficialsattheOFTadmittedprivatelythattheydidnotthinktheywouldeverdiscoverwhichcompanyorindividualhadinitiatedthepricingformula.Butthewatchdogrecognisesthatatthetimesupermarketswereunderpressurefrompoliticiansandfarmerstoraisethecostofmilktosavedairyfar
4、ming,thoughitisnotcertainthatmoneyfounditswaytofarmers.TheOFTclaimedinSeptemberthatithadfoundevidencethattheretailchainshadpassedfuturemilkpricestodairycompanies,whichthenreachedafixedpriceamongthemselves.Theaveragecosttoeachhouseholdisthoughttobe£11.25over2002and2003.Priceswen
5、tupanextra3ponapintofmilk,15ponaquarterofapoundofbutterand15ponahalfpoundofcheese.Thereisnodirectrecompenseforconsumers,however,andthemoneywillgototheTreasury.TheNationalConsumerCouncilgavewarningthattheadmissionswoulddentconsumerconfidenceinleadinghighstreetnamesandthatpeoplew
6、ouldbecomescepticaloftheirclaims.FarmersForAction,thegroupoffarmersthathasledprotestsoverlowmilkpricessince2000,isseekinglegaladviceonwhetheritcannowbringaclaimforcompensation.TheOFTinvestigationiscontinuing,however,inrelationtoTesco,MorrisonsandthedairygroupLactalisMcLelland,a
7、ndanylegalactionisexpectedtobedelayeduntilthatiscompleted.Tescowasdefiantandsaidthatitwaspreparingarobustdefenceofitsactions.LucyNeville-Rolfe,itsexecutivedirector,said:“Aswehavealwayssaid,weactedindependentlyandwedidnotcolludewithanyone.Ourpositionisdifferentfromourcompetitors
8、andwearedefendingourowncasevigorously.Ourphilosophyist
