HC Deb 12 August 1947 vol 441 cc2253-4
27. Mr. Osborne

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that surplus Army boots are being sold at 65s. a pair, free of coupons; how many pairs have been disposed of by his Department; to whom were they sold; at what price; and if he is satisfied that he received an adequate price for them.

Mr. Belcher

Seventy-one thousand pairs of officers' surplus boots were sold on behalf of the Board of Trade to King's Industries, Ltd., of Brighton, at 26s. a pair. They were sold on condition that they would be exported and I am satisfied that the firm acted in good faith and resold the goods on the same conditions. A small proportion, however, appeared on the home market, and, with regard to these, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Harborough (Mr. Attewell) on 12th June, of which I am sending him a copy.

Mr. Osborne

Is the Minister satisfied that the Government received an adequate price at 26s. a pair when these boots were sold freely in Leicester at 65s. a pair?

Mr. Belcher

The price of 26s. was fixed as being, in the Government's view, a fair one. What happened subsequently is a matter for regret, and we are taking steps to see that it does not occur again.

Mr. Scollan

May I ask whether, in view of the original reply, these boots were sold to these people for the purpose of export? Is there not something radically wrong when we allow these people to resell them and make a profit in this country?

Mr. Belcher

I stated in my first reply that we are taking steps to avoid this sort of thing happening in future. We sold them to a firm to resell to other firms, who guaranteed to export them, and some of them did not honour their guarantee. We will take steps to see that it does not occur again.

Mr. Joynson-Hicks

Will the Parliamentary Secretary say how it is that these boots were sold for export when they are wanted in this country?

Mr. Gammans

Will the Parliamentary Secretary say how the price of 26s. was arrived at, and whether the boots were put up for public tender?

Mr. Belcher

The price of 26s. was arrived at by officials of my Department, who considered that it was a fair price. In view of the shortage at the moment, I have no doubt that it is possible to get more than a fair price, but it is not the Government's policy to get more than a fair price.

Mr. Osborne

Will the Minister see that this scandal, in which boots sold at 26s. have been resold at 65s., does not occur again with any other firm?