§ 14. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Food what advice was received by him as to the possibility of charges of offences against the Food (Licensing of Retailers) Order, 1945, being brought against Mr. F. V. Lambert in respect of the sale by him at 1251 8, Lavender Road, Reading, of specified foods without a licence between 27th August, 1947, and 21st June, 1948.
§ Mr. StracheyMy legal advisers' views were that while there was evidence on which it would have been possible to prosecute Mr. Lambert, the offence would be regarded as purely technical and it was neither necessary nor desirable to prosecute. There was, I repeat, no question of my legal advisers' views being overruled.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterDoes the right hon. Gentleman qualify the answer which he gave to my supplementary question last week to the effect that the advice he had received was that a prosecution would not succeed?
§ Mr. StracheyThe advice I was given—I am sorry if I did not represent it clearly to the House—was that my legal advisers were against a prosecution.