§ 48. Mr. MANDERasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the gambling operations in armaments shares being organised at the present time in the form of so-called armament and allied share pools; and whether it is proposed to take any action to discourage this attempt to make money by speculation out of the Government's defence programme?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am aware of undesirable attempts which are being made to induce members of the public to participate in transactions of a gambling nature in the shares of armament and allied companies. Movements in the Stock Exchange prices of shares of this character have no necessary relationship to actual future profits. People who indulge in this type of speculation should bear in mind that they do so entirely at their own risk.
§ Mr. MANDERMay I assume from that that the Government strongly disapprove of gambling operations of this kind?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI disapprove of such operations in any stocks.
§ Mr. BOOTHBYIs it not a fact that over the last few weeks armament shares have, on the whole, gone down?