The Office of Fair Trading鈥檚 response to my column (23 October, page 30) condemns the OFT

It is not true to say 鈥渃over pricing distorts tender processes鈥� in the same way that it is not true to say 鈥渄ogs bite people, here comes a dog, it will bite鈥�.

The OFT has to prove the effect of cover pricing before it can levy fines. The person who tells a rival what he will bid so that the rival can bid higher will still break his neck to win the contract. The person getting the cover price would have bid high anyway.

If the OFT wants to fair, it has to put its allegations before an independent, impartial tribunal and prove that all dogs bite!

Tony Bingham

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