HC Deb 03 April 1958 vol 585 cc1364-6
24. Mrs. Braddock

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking to deal with the monopoly of bakers, who are keeping the price of bread high, and obstructing those who are prepared to manufacture and supply bread at a much cheaper price.

Sir. D. Eccles

Restrictive trading agreements affecting bread were included in the first direction to the Registrar as to the cases to be taken before the Restrictive Practices Court.

Mrs. Braddock

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this monopoly is a very vicious one in Liverpool, that at the moment the multiple firms of bakers have refused to supply the smaller shops with the bread which they bake, because the small shops have been selling a 28 oz. loaf at 2d. cheaper than the multiple firms, and that they have refused to serve the small shops and are creating a very difficult situation? Will the President of the Board of Trade consult his right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who has the whole of the documents in his possession, and see what action can be taken immediately to deal with this very difficult situation?

Sir. D. Eccles

If an agreement exists for withholding bread from certain shops, of course it is registrable. Anyone can bring a complaint and get the agreement registered.

Mr. Wiley

I appreciate the action that is being taken, but in view of the outrageous behaviour at present occurring in Liverpool, is there no immediate step that the right hon. Gentleman can take?

Sir. D. Eccles

It is one of those matters for which we have provided under the Restrictive Practices Act.

Sir. L. Ungoed-Thomas

What is the use of saying that agreements of this kind are registrable when there is no guarantee when they will be dealt with? Can the right hon. Gentleman now say when this action is likely to be taken upon the registration of these agreements?

Sir. D. Eccles

I should have thought the hon. and learned Gentleman knew that lawyers took a long time to prepare cases, but I have no doubt that when they start this series of cases they will go through the court fairly quickly.

Sir. L. Ungoed-Thomas

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the difficulty is caused not by lawyers dealing with the matter, but by the legislation introduced by the right hon. Gentleman's Government, which deliberately introduced a system involving long delay, as was pointed out to him from this side during the passage of the Act?

Sir. D. Eccles

The hon. and learned Gentleman is quite wrong. If he studied the kind of procedure that is necessary to prepare these cases, he would know that some months must elapse but that, once the courts start, the matter will go through. It is inevitable that, if cases are to be properly prepared, time must be taken.

Mr. Jay

Has the President of the Board of Trade taken any steps to see whether there are registrable agreements in this case which have not been registered?

Sir. D. Eccles

Not recently, because the direction to the court a year ago was to take agreements on wholesale and retail prices of bread among the first list.

Mrs. Braddock

On a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply and the fact that I hope that between now and the end of the Recess positive action will be taken by the Board of Trade, I will attempt to raise this matter on the Adjournment after the Recess.