§ 10. Mr. SIMMasked the President of the Board of Trade if he can state the number of prosecutions under the Profiteering Act in which fines have been inflicted, the aggregate amount of such lines, the number of eases in which imprisonment has been inflicted, and the aggregate period of imprisonment?
§ Sir A. GEDDESThe reports received from local committees show that to the 31st January last lines amounting to £834 11s. had been imposed in 83 prosecutions under the Profiteering Act, in addition to which orders for the payment of costs amounting to £236 4s. had been made. No sentences to imprisonment have been imposed.
§ Mr. BILLINGCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether he is satisfied with the way the Profiteering Act is working, and whether the Government propose to endeavour to introduce a more efficient Act to deal with this very urgent problem, especially in regard to building materials?
§ Captain LOSEBYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that these profiteering tribunals are in too many instances composed of interested persons with a complete lack of the sense of responsibility, to the discouragement of public-minded individuals, who incur all the expense of a prosecution, by awarding penalties which are quite inadequate?
§ Sir A. GEDDESWith regard to the first question, the announcement has already been made, I think, on two occasions—before Christmas and again since we met—that it is the intention of the Government to introduce an Amending Bill. That is, I hope, now within a very 486 short distance of becoming an accomplished fact. With regard to the second point, I am fully aware that some of the local committees are not very satisfactory, but it will be within the recollection of the House that at the time the Profiteering Bill was passing through it was felt by the majority of the House most desirable that the administration of the local part of the Act should be in the hands of local persons, and it is a matter of great difficulty for the Central Department to interfere with the selections made by local bodies to the local committees.
§ Mr. BILLINGIs he aware that in the main what we are suffering from is not the small profiteer, but the large combine, and what steps is he taking to deal with the cement combine, for example, which has raised cement from 18s. to 132s. a ton?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member ought to give notice of those figures.
§ 11. Mr. SIMMasked the President of the Board of Trade how many sectional committees have been set up under the Profiteering Act to inquire into the causes of high prices, what trades these committees cover, the number of meetings held by each committee, and what recommendations, if any, have been made?
§ Sir A. GEDDESThirty-two Sub-committees have been appointed by the Central Committee to investigate various trades and commodities, including boots, brushes, building materials, clothing, cotton, chocolate, cement, drugs, dyeing, electric lamps, farriery, fish, furniture, glass, groceries, hardware, jams, motor fuel, matches, milk, meat oils and fats, pottery, road transport rates, soap, salt, tobacco, tools, weights and measures, wool, tops and yarns, and wallpaper. The number of meetings of each Committee vary from one to thirteen. As regards the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reports of the various Sub-committees which have been presented to Parliament.
§ Mr. SEDDONMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman how many times the Pottery Committee has been called together?
§ Sir A. GEDDESI cannot carry in my head the number of meetings of each Committee, but if the hon. Member will 487 put down a question I will furnish the information.
§ Mr. SEDDONI happen to have been on the Committee, and I have never been called yet.