§ 4. Sir ROBERT THOMASasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet decided to take any action as a result of the Report of the Shipbuilding Joint Inquiry Committee, issued in June of last year, which found that the high 817 prices of shipbuilding materials were due to the operations of rings and price-fixing associations?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by the Parliamentary Secretary on 22nd February. The Joint Committee have not yet approached me.
§ Sir R. THOMASDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think it is about time, having regard to the fact that the Report was issued 12 months ago, that he approached the Joint Committee and asked them what further information they require to be given. Is he not aware that they specifically asked him to move in the matter?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, the hon. Gentleman is wrong. They have not asked me at all. I have stated if I was approached what action I should take, but while I understand there has been some publication of the Report, I have never been approached by the Committee, and they have not sent me any copy of the Report at all.
§ Sir R. THOMASDoes not the right hon. Gentleman admit that the Report specifically asks the Board of Trade to inquire into the matter of price-fixing associations which are keeping up the cost of shipbuilding?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI understand from the Report that the body concerned is not agreed upon what action should be taken. All they have to do is to send to me and say, "This is our Report and this is our desire." If so, I am prepared to consider action. But I have received no Report or request from the Committee.
§ Sir R. THOMASThe Report is unanimous, and it asks the Board of Trade to make inquiries into the matter. Has not the right hon. Gentleman approached the Committee?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI gave them a great deal of information on a number of matters while they were sitting. There is no mystery about it. If they are agreed as to wishing the Board of Trade to take some action, the only thing for them to do is to ask the President of the Board of Trade to take action.
§ Mr. CONNOLLYDoes not the right hon. Gentleman know the contents of the Report, in which they mention a specific promise from the President of the Board of Trade to receive them? They say so in the Report.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI am here waiting to receive them whenever they like to come along.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs it not the case that this Committee should not need to wait on the right hon. Gentleman. It is he who should be seeing that the Report is put into operation. He admits in his reply that it was because of these rings that the price of shipbuilding material is high, and hence we are not able to meet competition from abroad.