Letter: Book price rises

Sir: The Chief Executive of the Publishers' Association argues (letter, 3 August) that the Net Book Agreement, which controls the price at which books can be sold in shops, is of value to book buyers. Perhaps he can explain why, in the past two years, UK book prices have increased by about 50 per cent more than general price inflation, and the price of a book in the US is often half that of its British equivalent.

Yours faithfully,

T. A. MAHER

Chairman, Pentos plc

London, W1