§ 1. Commander Bowerasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the widespread alarm among shopkeepers which has been created by the policy of his Department in recommending that they should realise their stocks and find other jobs; and whether he will make an early and comprehensive statement on the matter?
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (Captain Waterhouse)I assume that my hon. and gallant Friend refers to the speech which I made on 10th April. I regret that my remarks have been widely misrepresented. I would call attention to the OFFICIAL REPORT of my speech, from which it should be clear that I was not making any statement of policy, but was merely putting forward the suggestion that in individual cases retailers might find it prudent to consider whether they should not realise their stocks and find other jobs. My right hon. Friend is not in a position to make any further statement on this matter, pending the investigation into retail trade problems by the committee which was announced on 13th May.
§ Commander BowerIs the Minister aware that a statement of that sort, coming from a Minister, carries a good deal of weight, even when it is slightly misrepresented by certain organs of the Press? A good many shopkeepers will be grateful for the statement which my hon. and gallant Friend has made to-day.
§ Mr. ShinwellWould the Minister regard it as prudent to make to the Board of Trade a similar suggestion that retailers should realise their stocks?
§ Captain WaterhouseMy suggestion was that, in considering various means of meeting the exigencies of the war, this means should be taken into consideration, and on that statement I stand.
2. Mr. De la Bèreasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will endeavour to establish priority of supply to the small trader who deals in tobacco, cigarettes, sweets and chocolates, rather than to other suppliers, such as cinemas, clubs and canteens, who stock these commodities as side lines; and whether he is aware that the competition which is being created by the canteens, extends beyond the above-mentioned goods to such articles as ink, paper and soap, the supply of which is in direct competition to, and tends to destroy, the small trader?
§ Captain WaterhouseI am aware that cinemas, clubs and canteens compete to some extent with both large and small shops. This problem falls within the ambit of the committee on retail trade which, as announced on 13th May, is being 1684 set up. As my hon. Friend will know, the special arrangements, whereby the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes were formerly able to get unrestricted supplies of certain goods controlled under the Limitation of Supplies Orders for their canteens, were cancelled some time ago.
Mr. De la BèreIs it not an unassailable truth that the small trader is not getting sufficient consideration from the Government? Will the Government really consider the small trader, who is the backbone of this country? It is useless to go on like this.
§ Captain WaterhouseThe Government have set up a committee to consider this matter and my hon. Friend ought to be satisfied that the committee will get all the necessary information and lay it before the Government in order that action may be taken.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs not all this action being taken after the Minister has told the retailers that they ought to consider it prudent to realise their stocks?
§ Captain WaterhouseIf the hon. Gentleman would read the speech I do not think he would make remarks of that sort.