§ 4.55 p.m.
§ The Lord AdvocateI beg to move, in page 11, line 27, after "hire," to insert:
or as agent of the seller or hirer causes or procures to be sold or let on hire.The House will note that under Subsection (2) of this Clause it is made a penal offence for any person to sell or let on hire for use in a United Kingdom factory any machine which does not comply with certain requirements which are prescribed in the Clause. In Standing Committee it was pointed out, and rightly, I think, that we had not spread the net wide enough to catch the foreign manufacturer who sends an agent to sell a machine in this country which does not comply with our requirements, and we have adjusted this Amendment so as to ensure that the agent in this country who takes part in the selling or the letting on hire of such a machine shall be in the same position as the United Kingdom manufacturer. I think the general idea of the Amendment, which commended 408 itself to the Committee, will commend itself to the House.
§ 4.56 p.m.
§ Mr. Rhys DaviesAs one who raised this issue in Committee I wish to thank the right hon. Gentleman for allowing himself to be converted to a little more sense in connection with this part of the Clause. If we push him a little further I think the Bill will become very much more as we want it to be. Perhaps I had better say in reference to this Amendment that we were moved to take action by the influx into this country of foreign capital and aliens who establish factories here. I feel sure that this new Amendment, which has been put forward on our suggestion, will help in dealing with those problems. I ought to say that I still think the words which were submitted by us in the first instance are very much more intelligent than these words.
Colonel Sandeman AllenI do not think we can part with this Clause before we have congratulated the hon. Member for Westhoughton (Mr. Rhys Davies) on turning Protectionist, and on the very strong Protectionist speech which he has just made.
§ Amendment agreed to.