§ 44. Mr. J. Langford-Holtasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will issue a regulation making it necessary for street vendors to display price-cards for goods for which the price is controlled.
§ Sir S. CrippsThe principal articles subject to price control sold by street vendors are haberdashery and combs. Under the Miscellaneous Haberdashery (Maximum 1550 Prices) Order, 1945, and the Combs (Maximum Prices) Order, 1945, any retailer is required to display a notice stating that goods covered by the Order which he is selling are subject to maximum price control and that a list of the maximum prices will be shown to any customer on request. A considerable number of traders have been successfully prosecuted for failure to display this notice. No further orders are in my view necessary.
§ Mr. Langford-HoltIs the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that I myself went down Oxford Street last week and saw no fewer than seven men who were selling combs at five times the controlled price, that no such notice was being displayed, and that there was a policeman walking down the street about five yards ahead of me?
§ Sir S. CrippsI hope the hon. Member gave information to the police.
§ Mr. Langford-HoltI should have thought the officer would have been capable of gathering the information himself.
§ Mr. WalkdenIf nobody takes any notice of the Order, why retain it, or why not amend it?