OFT probes search service plan from Environment Agency

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) last week launched an investigation into the Environment Agency's plans to set up its own search service for conveyancing transactions.

An OFT spokesman said it had decided there were 'reasonable grounds to suspect a breach of the Competition Act'.

He stressed that this did not mean it will necessarily lead to an infringement decision.

The OFT's action follows a complaint in February by existing search provider Sitescope, which argues that data for the searches - much of which is provided by the agency - would not be available on fair and reasonable terms to other providers as the agency plans to raise the charges it makes by more than 20 times (see [2003] Gazette, 27 February, 5).

A spokesman said the agency was co-operating with the OFT and was confident the OFT would not find against it.

He said the agency has a responsibility to secure a reasonable price from private providers for data collected at public expense.

Neil Rose