§ 52. Mrs. Mannasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to stop the practice of monopoly combines in furniture advertising and running their business under various names thereby misleading the public into believing there is competition when there is none.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftNo, Sir.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftBecause I do not think that it would assist the trade of the country if we prevented people from trading under various brand and business names, and it is to everybody's interest that the maximum trade should be done.
§ Mrs. MannIn that case, can the right hon. Gentleman explain how the House of Commons found it necessary on one occasion to pass an Act of Parliament compelling the printing of the names of the directors of a firm on the note-paper and memoranda of the firm? If it was important then, is it not even more important that the public should know with whom they are trading?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI think that the Registration of Business Names Act serves a useful purpose, but it does not mean that everybody has to trade under the same name.