CLAUSE 33.—(Power of boards to obtain information.) (Hansard, 29 June 1938)

§ Mr. W. S. Morrison
I beg to move, in page 43, line 18, to leave out from "information," to the end of line 23, and to insert: as may be specified in the demand, being estimates, returns and information relating, in the case of a registered producer of pigs, to the purchase, ownership, production, sale or disposal of any pigs, and, in the case of a registered curer or the holder of a producer's licence, to the purchase, ownership, sale or disposal of any pigs, carcases, parts of carcases, or other products of the slaughtering of pigs, or to the ownership, production, sale or disposal of any bacon. This is largely an endeavour to improve the drafting, but there is one change of 2072 some substance involved. In the paragraph as printed in the Bill it is not clear that the Development Board has the right to ask the occupier of premises to whom bacon found there belongs and it is thought necessary that such a power should exist. The drafting of the last lines of the Amendment makes it clear that the information that can be demanded is not in regard to pork pies and such commodities, but pigs, carcases and parts of carcases and other products of the slaughtering of pigs. We have now used words which put bacon in a category by itself, and while it might be held that a pork pie was something like bacon it could not be held that it was a pig carcase or part of a carcase.

§ Mr. McCorquodale
I think some protest should be made against the Minister's statement that he considers it an improvement in drafting to put in such a monstrous sentence.

§ Mr. Morrison
I said I thought it an improvement in the drafting not in the literary style, or the grammar, or the poetry, of the Clause.

§ Mr. Ramsbotham
I beg to move, in page 43, line 30, to leave out from "shall," to "requests," in line 31, and to insert: not be entitled to disclose to the board any information other than information which the board could have required under paragraph (a) of this Sub-section, and shall, if the person on whom the demand is made so. This and the two following Amendments go together. As the Clause stands, the inspection of books is to be made, unless the person on whom the demand is made otherwise requests, by a professional accountant not in the service of the Development Board. The cost of the professional accountant's services would have to be borne by the pig producer or the curer as the case may be. It is thought that the producer might not fully appreciate the fact that unless he gave notice to the Development Board the inspection would be made by an accountant and he would have to pay the accountant's fees. Therefore, for the protection of the producer, it is proposed to turn the Clause round and make it provide that the in- 2073 spection will be carried out by an officer of the board unless the person on whom the demand is made requests that it should be carried out by a professional accountant. If that request is made he will presumably be aware that he has to pay the fee.

§ Mr. Ramsbotham
I beg to move, in page 44, line 26, to leave out "require," and to insert "request."

§ Mr. Ramsbotham
I beg to move, in page 44, line 29, after "periods," to insert: or for any purpose connected with the making of orders under Section one or Section two of the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1933 (which sections relate to the regulation of importation of agricultural products and of sales of home-produced agricultural products). This Amendment is to enable the Minister to obtain from the Development Board and the Marketing Board, and to pass on to the Board of Trade, information which the Board of Trade may require for purposes connected with the quantitative regulation of bacon imports.