HC Deb 06 July 1939 vol 349 cc1605-7

Amendment made: In page 22, line 18, leave out "report," and insert: reports made to them in connection there with under the preceding provisions of this Act."—[Mr. Stanley.]

8.16 p.m.

Mr. Stanley

I beg to move, in page 23, line 28, to leave out "sectional," and to insert "redundancy."

This Amendment and all the other Amendments to the Clause, with the exception of one, deal with the same point. As the Bill passed its Second Reading the provision with regard to the approval of Parliament to both redundancy and price schemes was the same; they were both the subject of a negative Resolution of the House. When we came to discuss the matter in Committee it was clear that the Committee as a whole desired two things: (1) that the House of Commons should have ample opportunity of expressing its approval or disapproval of redundancy and price schemes, and (2), that it was desirous, especially in regard to price schemes, that combined with this control there should be the maximum of speed. A number of suggestions were made and as a result I have put the Amendments on the Order Paper. Their effect is to divide the two types of schemes. As far as redundancy schemes are concerned they are left to an affirmative Resolution from the House, instead of to a negative Resolution.

With regard to price schemes, where there is a case for the utmost speed, we have adopted the same procedure as for Orders under the Import Duties Advisory Act, that is to say, the Order is laid by the Board of Trade, and as soon as the Order is laid it comes into effect, and unless it is confirmed within 28 Parliamentary days after the Order is laid, it lapses. That suggestion was made in Committee, and I think it commends itself to hon. Members, who feel that in that way the House of Commons will retain control over price-fixing schemes and yet there will be no avoidable delay.

Mr. Rhys Davies

I think the right hon. Gentleman has got out of a rather serious difficulty by the proposal he is now making. So far as we understand the Measure and its application to the industry, speed is very nearly the essence of success, and for that reason we shall support the Amendment.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendments made:

In page 23, line 36, at the end, insert: and if each House of Parliament resolves that the scheme should have effect, the Board of Trade shall make an order confirming the scheme in the terms of the draft.

Leave out lines 37 to 43, and insert: (6) Subject to the preceding provisions of this Act, the Board of Trade may make an order confirming a price scheme in the terms in which the scheme has been approved by the Board of Trade; but the order shall be laid before Parliament as soon as may be after it is made, and shall cease to have effect at the expiration of the period of twenty-eight days beginning with the date on which it is made, unless, before the expiration of that period, it has been approved by a resolution passed by each House of Parliament, without prejudice, however to the validity of anything previously done under the order.

In page 24, line 5, at the end, insert: (7) The Board of Trade shall, at tie same time as any order confirming a price scheme is laid before Parliament, lay before Parliament a copy of the report made in relation to the scheme by the Cotton Industry Advisory Committee, a copy of the report of the Cotton Industry Board on the poll taken in relation to the scheme before the trans mission thereof to the Board of Trade and, if a poll has been taken under this Section in relation to that scheme, a copy of the report of the Cotton Industry Board on that poll.

In line 5, at the end, insert: (8) If it appears to the Board of Trade—

  1. (a)in the case of a redundancy scheme, that any of the cotton mills plant in which the board administering the scheme could lawfully acquire if the scheme were in force, is situate in Northern Ireland; or
  2. (b)in the case of a price scheme, that any of the persons who, if the scheme were in force, would be required to be registered there under carries on in Northern Ireland business in the section of the industry to which the scheme relates,
the Board shall, before laying a draft of the scheme before Parliament or making an order confirming the scheme, as the case may be, consult the Minister of Commerce for Northern Ireland.

In line 6, leave out from the beginning to "shall" in line 7, and insert: So much of this Section as provides that proceedings on a sectional scheme shall be discontinued or that an order confirming such a scheme shall cease to have effect."—[Mr. Stanley.]