§ 78. Colonel Lyonsasked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the Report made to the Central Price Regulation Committee by the North Midland Price Regulation Committee in connection with present prices for second-hand motor cars; whether he has obtained the views of the motor trade upon this Report; whether he has considered the recommendations of the Committee set up by the Minister of War Transport, by whom the matter was investigated; and whether he can now make any statement thereupon.
§ 80. Mr. W. J. Brownasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is now prepared to take steps to control the price of second-hand motor cars.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport (Mr. Noel-Baker)I have been asked to reply. I have not yet seen the report of the North Midland Price Regulation Committee, although I have noticed the references which have been made to it in the Press. My Noble Friend gave careful consideration to the report made to him in 1942 on the prices then being charged for second-hand cars and other vehicles, and since then he has had the matter under constant review. As a result he is by no means convinced that my hon. Friend's proposal for a control of prices would achieve the end in view, namely, that second-hand cars should be available at prices lower than those now being paid.
§ Colonel LyonsWill the hon. Gentleman be good enough to ask the President of the Board of Trade to see the recommendation sent by this Committee, and can he say whether the Committee of his own Department which has sat upon this particular matter has come to any conclusion?
§ Mr. Noel-BakerI certainly hope to see the report in due course, and with regard to the second part of the supplementary question the report made to my Noble Friend is purely on the facts of the prices being charged in 1942.
§ Mr. BowlesWill the Parliamentary Secretary put on a ceiling, namely, that obtaining on 31st March, 1939, like the Uthwatt Report?