HC Deb 22 February 1955 vol 537 c1057
36. Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications by foreign firms to establish factories in the United Kingdom for motor car electrical accessories have been received and approved in the last three years.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

To obtain this information would require exhaustive inquiries in the regions, but the effort and expense would not be justified.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

That reply does not sound very satisfactory to me. Can the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that he will do what he can to encourage unfettered competition with the powerful monopoly already operating in this field of exorbitant profits by the firm of Messrs. Joseph Lucas, Limited?

Mr. Thorneycroft

It is very nice to hear the voice of unfettered competition coming from the opposite benches.

Mr. Edelman

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is in fact a tyrannical near-monopoly in. motor car electrical accessories which foist expensive and often inefficient products on the industry as a whole? Will not the right hon. Gentleman do something to introduce the breath of competition into the motor industry?

Mr. Thorneycroft

Mr. Speaker, I think that the hon. Gentleman hopes to catch your eye next Thursday.