64. Mr. SUDGENasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give any estimate of the cost incurred by his Department under the Profiteering Act up to the end of September, 1919?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir Auckland Geddes)The cost incurred to the end of September by the Department established to administer the Profiteering Act is approximately £600. This amount does not include the cost of housing and lighting, or of stationery and printing.
§ Sir A. GEDDESOh, no! That was provided for quite separately in the Act.
§ 66. Mr. BRIANTasked the President of the Board of Trade how many complaints have been received under the Profiteering Act; how many prosecutions have taken place; and how many convictions have been secured?
§ 69. Colonel STEPHENSONasked the President of the Board of Trade how many prosecutions have been held by his Department under the Profiteering Act?
§ 70. Sir W. SEAGERasked the number of prosecutions which have been held by the various local committees under the Profiteering Act?
§ Sir A. GEDDESThe powers of the Board of Trade in relation to complaints arising out of sales by wholesale, merchants of commodities to which the Profiteering Act will be, or has been, applied, have been delegated to a Central Committee appointed for the purpose, and the powers of the Board in relation to complaints arising out of retail sales have been delegated to local committees appointed by the local authorities. Up to the present no prosecutions have been instituted by the Board of Trade or the Central Committee. A number of complaints have been heard and determined by the local committees, who have been asked to render monthly reports to the Board. It is, however, not yet possible to supply particulars of the exact number of cases with the decisions thereon, nor to supply particulars of cases in which proceedings have been taken by the local committees in Courts of Summary Jurisdiction.