Boris Johnson has said the government could bring in new laws to crack down on profiteering to prevent unscrupulous traders cashing in on the coronavirus outbreak.
The prime minister said MPs may have to look at legislation to ban people from ramping up prices amid reports of sky-high price tags on vital goods such a toilet roll, hand sanitiser and baby milk.
Tory MPAlexander Stafford challenged Mr Johnson to bring an end to the “disgusting scourge of black market profiteering” at prime minister’s questions.
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He said: “Can the prime minister assure me that he’s in regular contact with supermarkets and suppliers to ensure that goods are getting to the shelves where they are needed and will he join me in calling on people to only take what they need, not to stockpile and to stamp out the disgusting scourge of black market profiteering?”
In response, the prime minister said profiteering was “something that we should be looking at from a legislative point of view in this house as has happened before in this country”.
He added: “But I can tell him that the supermarkets do have adequate supplies, our supply chains as he knows are very good.
“We’ve relaxed delivery hours, but it is very, very important everybody in their shopping acts reasonably and considerably for other people.”
Downing Street said a new taskforce had been set up by the competition watchdog to end exploitation, which had the power to hand out “significant fines”.
The prime minister’s spokesperson told a Westminster briefing: “The prime minister is clear that we don’t want to see profiteering of any kind and traders must stop any excessive price increases.
“The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has created a specific Covid 19 taskforce to address and remedy concerns that some businesses are exploiting consumers through harmful sales and pricing practices.
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Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary
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A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn
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A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome
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1/15
A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother’s Day in Jounieh, Lebanon
AFP/Getty
2/15
Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome
Reuters
3/15
A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany
AP
4/15
The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome
AP
5/15
A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy
EPA
6/15
DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome
Reuters
7/15
A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona
EPA
8/15
Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City
Reuters
9/15
DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn
Reuters
10/15
People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel
Reuters
11/15
A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony
Reuters
12/15
Residents toast during a “safe distance” aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium
Reuters
13/15
Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary
Reuters
14/15
A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn
Reuters
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A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome
Reuters
“We would urge anybody who has any concerns to report those to the CMA. The CMA can use a range of competition and consumer powers to tackle bad behaviour including significant fines.”
The government will also look at “further action” if necessary, the spokesperson added.
It comes as online retail giants such as Ebay and Amazon were urged to stamp out price gouging, as some sellers reported products being sold at 10 times their ordinary prices.
Consumer watchdog Which? found price hikes for disinfectant, hand sanitiser, tampons and baby formula, with one case where digital thermometers – which usually cost around £40 – being sold for £300 on eBay and almost £150 on Amazon.
