Excluded agreements
3Excluded agreements
(1)The Chapter I prohibition does not apply in any of the cases in which it is excluded by or as a result of—
(a)Schedule 1 (mergers and concentrations);
(b)Schedule 2 (competition scrutiny under other enactments);
(c)Schedule 3 (planning obligations and other general exclusions); or
(d)Schedule 4 (professional rules).
(2)The Secretary of State may at any time by order amend Schedule 1, with respect to the Chapter I prohibition, by—
(a)providing for one or more additional exclusions; or
(b)amending or removing any provision (whether or not it has been added by an order under this subsection).
(3)The Secretary of State may at any time by order amend Schedule 3, with respect to the Chapter I prohibition, by—
(a)providing for one or more additional exclusions; or
(b)amending or removing any provision—
(i)added by an order under this subsection; or
(ii)included in paragraph 1, 2, 8 or 9 of Schedule 3.
(4)The power under subsection (3) to provide for an additional exclusion may be exercised only if it appears to the Secretary of State that agreements which fall within the additional exclusion—
(a)do not in general have an adverse effect on competition, or
(b)are, in general, best considered under Chapter II or the [1973 c. 41.] Fair Trading Act 1973.
(5)An order under subsection (2)(a) or (3)(a) may include provision (similar to that made with respect to any other exclusion provided by the relevant Schedule) for the exclusion concerned to cease to apply to a particular agreement.
(6)Schedule 3 also gives the Secretary of State power to exclude agreements from the Chapter I prohibition in certain circumstances.