CLAUSE 7—(Extension of functions of consumers' committees.) (Hansard, 12 July 1939)

Mr. Alexander
I would like to ask a question on this Clause about the functions of the consumers' committee. When the committee is brought into consultation will all the parties concerned in the matter which is before the committee be summoned and brought into conference? It seems reasonable that anyone who is ultimately a party to the matter which is 2349 laid before the committee should be brought into consultation. What is the practice, and what is the intention of the Minister?

§ Mr. T. Williams
Before the right hon. and gallant Gentleman replies may I call his attention to the following words in the Clause: Any consumers' committee may be brought into consultation under Sub-section (t) of Section thirteen of the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1933. How many consumers' committees have been brought into existence?

§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith
I frankly admit that those two questions cannot be answered at the moment. What has happened in the past has been that there has been no legal obligation to consult consumers' committees, but we now think it well that there should be. As to the right of parties concerned to be brought into consultation, I cannot understand what the right hon. Gentleman has in mind. I expect he has something; he usually has.

Mr. Alexander
If you are bringing into actual consultation of a compulsory character the consumers' committees, anyone who is likely to be affected by a decision arrived at by a consumers' committee should be given notice of the consultation and, if necessary, should have the right to put his case.

§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith
I think that is the case at the present time, but I will look into that point. As to the actual numbers of consumers' committees, there is one for Scotland, one for England, and one for Great Britain.

§ Mr. J. Morgan
The Clause appears to make a substantial advance in the right of a consumers' committee to get evidence and to find out what is really behind the negotiations. Will the consumers' committees have any more powers than they had before and will they serve any other purpose than they have served before? Up to now they have been practically useless and have had practically no influence upon the position. If, as the Minister has said, they will carry on as before, I do not see why you need to legalise their position. They have been ineffective. Is it a fact that they are to have more powers than before?

§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith
There is no statutory obligation to-day for a board to consult a consumers' committee, although in practice boards do consult them. Now we are laying it down that there must be consultation before a decision is taken by a board. A consumers' committee can make representations to the Minister and can hold things up while those representations are being made.

§ Mr. Morgan
They will, in fact, be on a better footing than they have been before?

§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith
Yes, they will be on a better footing than before.

§ Mr. Morgan
And will you take more notice of them?

§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith
That is the intention.

§ Mr. Hopkin
The Minister may direct one of these committees to do a certain piece of work, such as to ascertain the cost of distribution of milk. Is it possible for the committee to go into consultation with the Milk Marketing Board, and with the right hon. and gallant Gentleman himself, in order to get those costs down?

§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith
I do not think that will be possible under the Bill. We should need special powers for them.

§ Mr. T. Williams
The right hon. and gallant Gentleman has told us how many consumers' committees have been brought into existence. I remember that the Cutforth Committee investigated the cost of distribution. The committee made recommendations which have all, of course, been ignored. The consumers' committee referred to in Clause 7 is, however, a totally different thing from the Cutforth Committee, that is to say a committee that will be brought into consultation—

§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith
It is not a reorganisation committee, as the Cutforth Committee was.

§ Mr. J. Morgan
I am still not quite clear about this matter. Sub-section (1) of Clause 7 says: and the functions of consumers' committees shall be extended accordingly. Extended in what direction? I feel that we have not had quite the explanation to which we are entitled. Obviously, if we 2351 are not giving them any more powers, seeing that it is said that their functions shall be extended accordingly, there must be some functions that are to be extended.

§ Sir R. Dorman-Smith
The Sub-section deals with a milk product marketing scheme and a milk product development scheme, and the word "accordingly" refers to these two schemes.