HC Deb 21 July 1942 vol 381 cc1394-5
29. Mr. De la Bère

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of his proposal to contact certain sources of the retail trade, he proposes to confine his further contact with certain sources of the retail trade to the 47 trade contacts mentioned in the Third Report of the Retail Trade Committee?

Mr. Dalton

I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the organisations with which I shall have discussed, by to-morrow afternoon, the recommendations contained in the Third Report of the Retail Trade Committee.

Mr. De la Bère

Will my right hon. Friend recall the remark he made recently on the Floor of this House to the effect that small shopkeepers are the backbone of the country, and will he urge on the Cabinet the necessity for bringing in protective legislation at the earliest possible opportunity, in order to safeguard that backbone?

Mr. Dalton

As my hon. Friend knows, we are having a Debate on that subject on the 3rd Sitting Day of the present series.

Following is the list:

Association of British Chambers of Commerce.

Company Chemists' Association.

Drapers' Chamber of Trade.

Multiple Shops Federation.

National Chamber of Trade and affiliated organisations.

National Joint Board representing the tobacco, newsagency and confectionery trades.

National Pharmaceutical Union.

National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers.

National Union of Shop Assistants.

Parliamentary Committee of the Co-operative Congress.

Retail Distributors' Association.