§ 5. Mr. Doddsasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the extent to which he has exercised his powers under the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1956, with regard to restrictive trading agreements brought to the attention of the Registrar of Restrictive Trading Agreements and the Restrictive Practices Court.
§ 12 and 13. Mr. Wadeasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what additions he has made since June, 1957, to the list of agreements for early consideration by the Restrictive Practices Court;
(2) what directions have been given to the Registrar of Restrictive Trading Agreements as to the order in which cases shall be taken before the Restrictive Practices Court.
§ 17. Mr. E. Fletcherasked the President of the Board of Trade what directions he has given to the Registrar of Restrictive Trade Practices with a view to varying the order in which proceedings are to be taken before the Restrictive Practices Court.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe Board of Trade has made two orders under Sections 9 and 10 of the Restrictive Trade Practices Act calling up for registration all categories of agreements covered by the Act.
749 The Board has given two directions to the Registrar under subsection (2) of Section 1 about the first cases to be taken before the Restrictive Practices Court. The text of the first direction was given on 16th April, 1957, in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesend (Mr. Kirk), and I am arranging for the text of the second direction to be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. WadeIn view of the fact that the first case may not come before the Restrictive Practices Court until the spring of next year, is the President of the Board of Trade satisfied that progress is adequate to deal with the vast number of cases which have been put on the list? Can he give an indication when the further list which has been added is likely to be reached for consideration by the Court?
§ Sir D. EcclesThe time when cases are reached by the Court is a matter for the Attorney-General, but the first fruits of this legislation are really to be seen in the number of restrictive practices which have been scrapped rather than registered.
§ Mr. E. FletcherWill not the President of the Board of Trade realise that the speed with which these restrictive practices are being dealt with is nothing like that expected by his predecessor, and will he not, therefore, do something to expedite the machinery of the Act so that these matters can be dealt with very much quicker?
§ Sir D. EcclesI think the hon. Gentleman will find that the Board of Trade has done what it is its duty to do under the Act. It is now a matter for the Registrar, who is not responsible to the Board of Trade but independent, and for the Court. If the hon. Gentleman wishes to ask a Question about that, it should be addressed to the Attorney-General.
§ Mr. JayIs it not extraordinary that eighteen months after the passing of the Act not a single case has gone before the Court? In view of the assurances we have had from the right hon. Gentleman's predecessor about how quickly this Act would work, cannot the right hon. Gentleman at least tell us when the first case will go before the Court?
§ Sir D. EcclesWhen the first case goes before the Court is not a matter for the Board of Trade but for the Attorney-General.
§ Following is the text:
§ RESTRICTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT, 1956
§ Direction with respect to the order of proceedings before the Restrictive Practices Court
§ Whereas the Board of Trade on the 16th day of April, 1957 gave to the Registrar a Direction (hereinafter referred to as "the Principal Direction") with respect to the order of proceedings before the Restrictive Practices Court in respect of agreements described in the Schedule thereto and therein referred to as "scheduled agreements": Now, therefore, the Board of Trade in pursuance of section 1 of the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1956 (4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 68) hereby direct that the agreements described in the Schedule hereto shall be added to the Schedule to the Principal Direction which shall have effect as if such agreements were also scheduled agreements.
§ Dated this 3rd day of September, 1957.
§ (Signed) E. A. COHEN,
§ A Secretary to the Board of Trade