§ 12. Mr. Jannerasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that at a meeting of representatives of the principal retailers' organisations convened by his Department in the autumn of 1956 the said representatives agreed to endorse a statement to be issued by his Department advising their member firms not to sell flick knives; and why the statement has not been issued yet by his Department.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe trade representatives were sympathetic to the object of the statement, but the action proposed would have required registration under the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1956. As an alternative, wide publicity was given to the reply made on 29th November last by the then Secretary of State for the Home Department to a Question from my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Poole (Captain Pilkington), on the subject of spring-clip knives.
§ Mr. Janneris not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the retailers' organisations are very perturbed about the situation, that the Minister himself pressed upon them the necessity of issuing a statement to the various retailers themselves, and that since that date people have been attacked with these knives? Will he do something before someone is murdered, as has happened in the past?
§ Sir D. EcclesMy information is that there was an encouraging response to the appeal to traders which was published in a number of trade journals. Of course, there is a legitimate demand for these knives from farmers and fishermen and it will be impossible entirely to prevent them from getting into circulation, but I understand that the situation is better.