HC Deb 31 October 1939 vol 352 cc1820-2
Mr. Stanley

I beg to move, in page 6. line 36, at the end, to insert: (3) A local price-regulation committee shall also keep under review the prices at which goods which are not for the time being price-regulated are being offered for sale in their locality, and, if it appears to them to be expedient that an Order under Section two of this Act should be made in relation to any such goods, they shall make a representation to that effect to the central price-regulation committee. The object of this Amendment is to meet a point raised by the hon. Member for East Wolverhampton (Mr. Mander) and it provides that a local price-regulation committee, besides carrying out its statutory functions with regard to price-regulated goods, shall carry out the other functions referred to in the Amendment.

6.18.p.m.

Sir H. Williams

I rather violently opposed the Amendment in the form in which it was proposed by the hon. Member for East Wolverhampton (Mr. Mander), but I think that this Amendment provides for control without those undesirable effects which I thought would result from the Amendment moved by the hon. Member. I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the admirable solution which he has found for the problem.

6.19.p.m.

Mr. Mander

I am grateful to the President of the Board of Trade for moving this Amendment, which entirely meets the point I raised the other night. It is true that I put forward another suggestion, but I appreciate that this covers the matter. It greatly strengthens the Bill, by preventing people who are outside the scope of price regulation from thinking that they will necessarily remain outside.

Mr. John Morgan

I wonder whether the Amendment provides for local committees taking into account the rising cost of foodstuffs. There is some concern about that, because so many commodities used by the public are outside the scope of the Bill at the moment.

6.20.p.m.

Mr. Stanley

Of course, if the particular type of foodstuff is one which is controlled by the Minister of Food this sort of machinery, quite clearly, would not be appropriate. It is for the controlling Minister to see to it.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. Stanley

I beg to move, in page 6, line 41, after "Act," to insert: to enforce the said provisions themselves in cases in which it appears to them to be expedient so to do on the ground that questions as to the contravention thereof in relation to goods of any description are likely to arise in numerous localities or on other grounds. This Amendment and the next three Amendments which are consequential, deal with a point raised by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Ashford (Mr. Spens), which I promised to look into. He raised the question of an article of common use, which might be sold all over the country at a price which people thought excessive, and pointed out that in a case of that kind it would be an obvious simplification if the investigation and the preparation for a prosecution were undertaken, not by perhaps 14 local committees acting simultaneously, but by the Central Committee itself. I was impressed by the argument. I can see that in such a case it would be better for the Central Committee to investigate the matter and institute a prosecution.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendments made:

In page 6, line 43, leave out "there under," and insert "under this Act."

In page 7, line 11, at the end, insert: the central price regulation committee shall make a like request in a case in which they think fit to investigate an alleged contravention themselves and are of opinion, after giving to the alleged offender such an opportunity as aforesaid, that a prosecution ought to be instituted. (5).

In line 12, leave out "such a contravention," and insert: a contravention of any of the provisions of Section one of this Act."—[Mr. Stanley.]