HC Deb 23 June 1926 vol 197 cc363-4
40. Sir ROBERT THOMAS

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the fact that the Shipbuilding Joint Inquiry Committee have reported that the high prices of materials which have to be purchased by builders for use in the construction of ships are prejudicing the total costs of shipbuilding, and that these high prices are due to the operations of rings and price-fixing associations, whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?

Sir B. CHADWICK

The suggestions to which the hon. Member draws attention will be carefully considered, but I am not at present in a. position to make any statement on the subject.

Sir R. THOMAS

Is this matter not sufficiently important., and has the Report not been out sufficiently long for the Board of Trade to take very serious notice of this question?

Sir B. CHADWICK

It is a serious matter, but the Report has only just come to hand and we are considering it. I am not able to go beyond that statement at the present moment.

Mr. RUNCIMAN

Will the hon. Gentleman represent to the President the Board of Trade the extreme urgency of dealing with these problems, which not only affect matters which have now to be dealt with in the shipyards, but many orders which would otherwise be unobtainable?

Sir B. CHADWICK

Yes, Sir. My right hon. Friend knows that the Report has only just come out and we must have an opportunity of considering it very carefully, and it will receive the most earnest attention.

Sir J. NALL

Is the present situation due to the policy of allowing the shipyards to depend on imports from abroad rather than upon home products?

Mr. MACLEAN

Has the Parliamentary Secretary not admitted that, until this Report was published, he had no knowledge of these rings which had been keeping up the prices of material to the shipbuilding firms?

Sir B. CHADWICK

The Report has certainly developed a condition of things of which we were not aware.

Commander WILLIAMS

When dealing with rings, will the Government deal with all rings, shipping and every other kind of rings?