§ 35. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to introduce legislation further to limit the power of monopolies.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (Mr. Donald Kaberry)The hon. Member will appreciate that there is nothing which can usefully be added to what was said in the debate on the Address, and he will not expect any pronouncement in advance of the publication of the report under Section 15 of the Monopolies Act of 1948 which deals with certain restrictive practices.
§ Mr. HughesIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware of a sensational speech made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer during the Election, when he said that this Government were going to fight the monopolies? Can he tell us when this sham fight is to begin? Is he going to egg on the Chancellor or hold him back—or is the towel to be thrown into the ring before the fight starts?
§ Mr. KaberryI am sure that the hon. Member will recall the announcement that the report on certain restrictive practices will be published in the course of two or three weeks.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonHas the hon. Gentleman's attention been called to the repeated cases of tenders to local authorities and others for exactly the same amount for the same class of goods? In view of the Chancellor's speech, to which my hon. Friend the Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Emrys Hughes) has drawn attention, when are the Government going to deal with these things and rescue the local authorities from what is really a shameful position? When is Conservative freedom going to work?
§ Mr. KaberryThe question of level tendering raises a point entirely different from that on the Order Paper, and the whole of the matter will shortly be the subject of a reference by my right hon. Friend.