§ 26. Major M. WOODasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the 1168 Government intends to carry out the promise given by its predecessor to re-enact those clauses of the repealed Profiteering Act which dealt with trade rings and combines?
§ 48. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the legislation promised by the late Government and the various inquiries which have been held into rings and trusts, the Government will deal with the evil next year; and whether they will consider proposals to compel trusts to trade under a single name and so prevent the device by which a certain dairy company is enabled to trade under over 50 different names, representing firms which once competed with each other but are now completely merged?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEThe Government are not in a position to give any undertaking as to legislation on this matter.
§ Major WOODDoes the right hon. Gentleman not consider that he is bound by the pledges given by the last Government, seeing that the majority of the Members of the present Government were Members of the last Government?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEI do not wish to engage in an interesting discussion on the doctrine of successive responsibility, but obviously this is a question that must be considered on its merits. If there is anything involved which would seriously dislocate trade and cause general disturbance without compensating advantages, it is a matter for very careful consideration.
§ Commander BELLAIRSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that these pledges were given by Conservative Ministers, and that a great many expensive Committees have inquired into it, and is all that evidence to be valueless?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMENo, I do not think their evidence is to be valueless at all, and one of the results, if I remember, of these Committees was that the evil was found to be much smaller than was commonly supposed. But it may well be that it is not a good thing to set up a large Dumber of Committees in the future.